H. Balslev 62542

Solitary. Stem 8 m tall, up to 25 m tall in other individuals, 35 cm in diam near base, thicker toward middle, ca. 60 cm in diam and ca. 25cm in diam at apex, white due to a very thick layer of wax, internodes somewhat oblique to horizontal. Leaves 16-18; sheath 100 cm long, 63 cm wide at base, with thick brown indument, 40 cm at apex appearing like a petiole; petiole 30 cm long, 10 cm wide at apex, green, adaxially flattened, slightly raised centrally, with acute margins; rachis 330 cm long, green adaxially flattened for 83 cm, thereafter acute, abaxially convex with a whitish indument; pinnae 147-149 on each side, irregularly arranged in groups of 1-6, most commonly of 4-5, the groups very close to each other, basal and apical pinnae almost regularly arranged, on each group the pinnae arranged in different planes, the proximal one of each group slightly ascending, the distal one descencding, the apical 1/2 of each pinnae pendulous, toward the leaf apex the rachis rotates axially, and therefore pinnae appear vertical, all pinnae whitish-silvery below. Infructescence interfoliar, erect; peduncle 214 cm wide at apex; prophyll 62 cm long, 10 cm wide; peduncular bracts 5, with a brown indumentum, the longest one 206 cm long, a 6th bract 7 cm long inserted below the rachis base; rachis 141 cm long, green; rachillae 64, the longest one 63 cm long born near the rachis middle, branched, the last branches of the 3rd order. Ripe fruits light reddish, globose. Vernancular name: “palma de tamb‡n”. Seeds eaten by pigs and therefore the palms are protected in the pastures and in the forest. The split stem is used for walls and fences. In this locality a population of thousands of individuals of this palm was observed. [Dupl. 6: AAU, QCA, QCNE, COL.]

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