Growing in large colonies, innudated at edges of blackwater lake. Stems up to 6 m tall, 4 cm diam., nodes 3-4 cm apart, internodes grey with a ring of many spines, each spine black, slightly flattened, most of them pointing down, a few pointing up. Leaves 4-5, sheath 30 cm long, forming an indistinct crownshaft, with spines similar to those of the stem on the outside, greenish, the inner leaves with a closed sheath that projects 5-10 cm above the atachment of the petiole. Petiole 15 cm long, green rounded below, channeled above, densely spiny below and on the margins with spines 2-7 cm long. Rachis 98 cm long, rounded below with a whitish tomentum, ridged above, densely covered with spines similar to those of the petiole, above with similar but fewer spines. Pinnae 42 per side, solitary or in groups of 2-6, pointing adaxially in different angles, very fine black spines on the margins, veins of upper surface with a few black spines, up to 2 cm long; basal pinna 28 x 2 cm, middle pinna 42 x 2.5 cm, apical pinna 17 x 3 cm. Inflorescence interfoliar, laterally pendulous at anthesis, peduncle 20 cm long, laterally compressed, brown and spiny where exposed, creamy white at base, protogynous. Prophyll 12 cm long, 4 cm wide, finely spiny. Peduncular bract inserted ca. 2 cm from base of peduncle, 38 cm long, erect at anthesis, creamy white on the inside, densely spiny on the outside, green, spines up to 1.5 cm long. Rachis 8 cm long, brown tomentose, not spiny. Rachillae 26, ca. 13 cm long, densely covered with flowers; pistillate flowers green or yellow at anthesis, scattered along the rachillae; staminate flowers creamy white. Infructescences up to 4 per plant; immature fruits green, globose ca. 1.5 cm, very slightly apiculate, mesocarp fleshly ca. 2 mm, endosperm homogenous. Spanish: Chonta durillo. Siona: pa«i ine. Fruits edible. Fruits eaten by fish Paco (Serrasalmidae). Fruits said to fall when green, i.e. mature fruit is green. Adapted for fish dispersal?
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