Lepidocaryum

taxobox
name = "Lepidocaryum"
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Arecales
familia = Arecaceae
subfamilia = Calamoideae
tribus = Lepidocaryeae
genus = "Lepidocaryum"
genus_authority = Mart.Martius, Historia Naturalis Palmarum 2:49. 1824.]
species = "L. tenue"
binomial = "Lepidocaryum tenue"|

"Lepidocaryum" is a unispecific genus of flowering plant in the palm family from South America where the lone species, "Lepidocaryum tenue", is commonly called poktamui. Nine species have been described but palm taxonomists agree that just one variable plant represents them all.Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) "An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms". Portland: Timber Press. ISBN-10: 0881925586 / ISBN-13: 978-0881925586] The most reduced member of the Lepidocaryeae, it is similar in appearance to three closely related genera, "Mauritia", "Mauritiella", and "Lytocaryum".Uhl, Natalie W. and Dransfield, John (1987) "Genera Palmarum - A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore". Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. ISBN-10: ISBN-10: 0935868305 / ISBN-13: 978-0935868302] The genus name combines the Greek words for "scale" and "nut" and the species epithet is Latin for "thin".

Description

At just 2.5 cm in width, the clustering trunks reach no higher than 3.5 m and are covered at the top by old, adherent leaf bases. The small, reduplicate leaves are palmate and borne on 60 cm petioles. Each leaf is split in half, to the petiole, with each half further divided into 2 - 11 narrow segments. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, both with interfoliar inflorescences, branched to two orders, which are superficially similar. Female plants produce oblong or ovoid fruit, usually with one seed, red to brown in color and covered in scales.

Distribution and habitat

Spread throughout Brazil's Amazon region, out to Venezuela, the wetter parts of Colombia, Guyana and Peru, it is an undergrowth palm found in low land rain forest. In habitat the leaves are often used in thatch.

External links

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?6669 "Lepidocaryum" on NPGS/GRIN]
* [http://palmguide.org/genus.php?family=ARECACEAE&genus=Lepidocaryum Fairchild Guide to Palms: "Lepidocaryum"]
* [http://data.gbif.org/species/14721864 GBIF portal]
* [http://www.plantsystematics.org/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Lepidocaryum&rank=genus Plantsystematics.org with images]
* [http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Lepidocaryum/tenue.html PACSOA]

References

reflist