Desmoncus cirrhiferus

Desmoncus cirrhiferus
A.H.Gentry & Zardini

Original
reference:
Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75: 1436 (1988)

Morphology:
Subcanopy reaching liana. Stems clustered, to 10 m long, 1-2 cm in diameter. Leaves 1-2 m long; rachis in adult plants armed with numerous short, recurved spines used in climbing; pinnae 5-9 on each side, regularly spaced, elliptic, thin, nearly glabrous, to 20 cm long and 7 cm wide, distally extended into an up to 10 cm long filament; distal part of the leaf axis with a few pairs of pinnae transformed into climbing hooks. Inflorescence 30-50 cm long; branches 15-20, each 15-20 cm long. Fruits yellow to red, elongate, 1.5-2.5 cm long.

Distribution:
W Colombia and Ecuador, in tropical and pre-montane moist and wet forest up to 900 m elevation.

Notes:
The species is easily recognised by the long tail at the apex the leaflets

Common
names:
Bora negra
–
Awa, Spanish
(Barfod & Balslev 1988).

Matampa
–
Spanish
(F. Borchsenius #244 ).

Motampa
–

(C. Játiva #644 ).

Uses:

Raw fruits are edible
(D. Rubio #1422 and additional references).

The stems are used for making baskets
(D. Rubio #1422 and additional references).

The stems are used for making fish traps called catanga
(F. Borchsenius #244 ).

Synonym
list
(1)

Specimen
list