Bactris vulgaris Barb.Rodr., Enum. Palm. Nov. , App.: 42 (1879)

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Distribution

Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo),
lowland rain forest on non-flooded soils, 50-100 m elevation.

Discussion

  • Bactris vulgarly is diagnosed by its whitish tomentose and setose abaxial pinna surface, and purple-black fruits. Synonymy was established by Noblick (1991) and Boudet Fernandes (1995), who also discussed variation in this species.

Common Name

  • . Brazil: airi-mirim, tucum, tucum preto.

Description

  • Stems cespitose and forming clumps, 1-3(-5) m tall, 2-4 cm diam., spiny. Leaves 4-10; leaf spines somewhat clustered, black, terete, spinulose, to 9 cm long, dense on sheath and lateral surfaces of petiole fewer on abaxial surface of rachis; sheath 20-25 cm long, fibrous on the margins; ocrea to 17 cm long; petiole 12-98 cm long; rachis 0.6-1.8 m long; pinnae 21-49 per side, irregularly arranged in clusters spreading in different planes, linear-lanceolate, spinulose along the margins, whitish tomentose and usually setose abaxially; middle pinnae 20-69 x 1.7-4 cm. Inflorescences interfoliar; peduncle 6-32 cm long, recurved, spiny; prophyll 16-35 cm long; peduncular bract 15-50 cm long, moderately to densely covered with appressed, black or yellowish spines to 1 cm long; rachis 9-22 cm long; rachillae 6-29, 4.5-14 cm long, at anthesis densely covered with moniliform trichomes; triads irregularly arranged among paired or solitary staminate flowers; staminate flowers 5-5.5 mm long; sepal lobes 1.5-2 mm long; petals 5-5.5 mm long; stamens 6; pistillode absent; pistillate flowers 3-6 mm long; calyx cupular, 1-2 mm long; corolla tubular, 3-6 mm long, spinulose, tomentose; staminodes minute, digitate, or absent; fruits 1.8-3 cm diam., depressed-globose or obovoid, yellow, becoming purple-black; mesocarp juicy; endocarp turbinate, the pores more or less equally spaced; endocarp fibers numerous, free, with juice sacs attached; fruiting perianth with minute calyx and spinulose, lobed corolla, without staminodial ring.