Aiphanes hirsuta subsp. fosteriorum

Aiphanes hirsuta subsp. fosteriorum
(H.E.Moore) Borchs. & R.Bernal


Original
reference:

Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 70: 65 (1996)


Basionym:
Aiphanes fosteriorum H.E.Moore


Morphology:
Understorey palm. Stems clustered, usually only one or a few large ones in each clone, to 10 m tall, 6-10 cm in diameter. Leaf blade 200-275 cm long; pinnae 15-25 on each side, inserted in groups of 3-4 and spreading in different planes, the central ones 35-60 cm long and 15-25 cm wide, rough below; pinna apex oblique, with a large blunt lobe around the midrib. Inflorescence 150-250 cm long, with 50-100 spreading, slender branches. Flowers pale violet. Fruits ca. 2 cm in diameter, pinkish red; endocarp deeply pitted.



Distribution:
Premontane wet and pluvial forest in SW Colombia and NW Ecuador.

Notes:
Diagnosed by its large size and wedgeshaped, grouped pinnae with a blunt lobe around the midrib. Fruits have deeply pitted endocarp.



Conservation
status:
Vulnerable


IUCN criteria:
B2c

(
Borchsenius & Skov 1999)

Synonym
list
(1)

Specimen
list