Astrocaryum chambira
Burret
Original
reference:
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 35: 122 (1934)
Morphology:
Canopy palm. Stem solitary, to 30 m tall and 25-40 cm in diameter, armed with long black spines. Leaves forming a funnel shaped crown, erect and arching, neatly abscising, to 8 m long; pinnae to 150 on each side, evenly spaced or grouped, spreading in different planes, the central ones to 125 cm long and 5 cm wide. Inflorescences erect, purple at first, later brownish yellow, 200-350 cm long; branches ca. 200, the proximal 35-50 cm long, each with 2-3 female flowers on the basal part. Male flowers 4-6 mm long. Female flowers 12-22 mm long, including the stigmas. Fruits obovoid, greyish green, turning yellow to orange at maturity, with a loosely attached, greyish white to brown indument, 6-8 cm long.
Distribution:
W part of the Amazon region in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, usually on terra firme.
Common in Ecuador.
Common
names:
Be-to
–
Siona
(H. Balslev #4812).
Chambira
–
Spanish, Quichua
(Balslev & Barfod 1987 and additional references).
Kumái
–
Shuar
(Mundo Shuar 1977).
Kumai
–
Achuar
(Mundo Shuar 1977).
Matá
–
Shuar
(Mundo Shuar 1977).
Mate
–
Achuar
(Descola 1989).
Nyükwa
–
Siona
(W.T. Vickers #141).
Onempa
–
Waorani upriver dialect, referring to juvenile plants
(E.W. Davis #978).
Oneongkagi
–
Waorani upriver dialect, referring to seedling plants
(E.W. Davis #978).
Opongengkawe
–
Waorani upriver dialect
(E.W. Davis #978).
Tiinfa” cho
–
Cofán
(Pinkley 1973).
Tuinfa
–
Cofán
(Borman 1976 and additional references).
Iika
–
Waorani – upriver dialect
(E.W. Davis #978).
Uses:
Brooms are made from mid ribs of young pinnae
(H. Balslev #4812).
Fibres extracted from spear leaf-pinnae are used to make hammocks, carrrying bags, fishing nets, twine, combs and necklaces
(E.W. Davis #978 and additional references).
Fibres from 12-20 mature palms are required to make a single hammock
(E.W. Davis #978).
The endosperm is edible
(H. Balslev #4812).
The fruits are edible
(Mundo Shuar 1977).
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