Aiphanes aculeata
Willd.
Original
reference:
Samml. Deutch. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1803: 251 (1806)
Type:
Bredemeyer s.n – Venezuela
Neotype:
Steyermark 106916 – Venezuela
Morphology:
Subcanopy palm. Stem solitary, to 10 m tall and 10-15 cm in diameter. Leaf blade 1.5-2 m long; pinnae 15-20 on each side, wedge shaped, inserted in groups of 3-5 and spreading in different planes, abruptly widening at the three-pointed apex, and lending a characteristic ragged appearance to the leaves. Inflorescence 0.7-1.5 m long, with 35-75 branches. Flowers yellow. Fruits ca. 2 cm in diameter, bright red.
Distribution:
Dry to seasonal lowland forest in Venezuela and Colombia, and again in Peru to W Brazil and Bolivia.
Not native to Ecuador, but introduced, probably from Colombia. Planted here and there in W Ecuador as a garden ornamental (Sto. Domingo, Quevedo, Babahoyo area), occasionally found in pastures.
Common
names:
Chonta ruro
–
Spanish
(Balslev & Barfod 1987).
Uses:
Planted as an ornamental palm
(Borchsenius & Balslev 1989).
The fruits are edible
(Borchsenius & Balslev 1989).
The mesocarp has an extremely high content of carotene, the precursor of vitamin A
(Balick & Gershoff 1990).
The nuts are sometimes sold as a snack at markets in Quito.
(Borchsenius et al. 1998).
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