Aiphanes deltoidea
Encyclopedia
Aiphanes deltoidea, known as shicashic in Peru
, is a species of palm
which is native to northeastern South America
.
up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long.
Individuals have between 6 and 12 leaves which consists of a leaf sheath, a petiole
and a rachis
. Leaf sheaths, which wrap around the stem, are about 30 cm (12 in) long with spines similar to those on the trunk. Petioles are green, 90 to 105 cm (35.4 to 41.3 ) long, and are covered with scattered black spines up 6 6 cm (2.4 in) long. Rachises are 115 to 190 cm (45.3 to 74.8 ), and covered with spines similar to those of the petiole. Leaves each bear 11 to 14 pairs of leaflets in groups of three.
Inflorescence
s consist of a peduncle
55 centimetre and a rachis 30 centimetre long. The peduncle can be almost spineless, or it can be covered with black spines up to 1 cm (0.393700787401575 in) long. The rachis bears 49 to 60 rachillae, which are the smaller branches which themselves bear the flowers. Male flowers are orange, while female flowers are light green. The mature fruit
have not been described.
in the foothills of the Andes
, from southern Colombia
to Peru, and into western Brazil
. It was reportedly found in terra firme (non-flooded) forests, and although widespread, its overall density is very low, and even in areas where it is present it only occurs at low density. As a result, it was classified as a rare species
by Francis Kahn and Farana Moussa in 1994.
has been placed in the subfamily
Arecoideae, the tribe
Cocoseae and the subtribe Bactridinae, together with Desmoncus
, Bactris
, Acrocomia
and Astrocaryum
. Aiphanes deltoidea was described by German botanist Max Burret
in 1932 based on collections made in December 1924 in Peru. The type collection was destroyed when the Berlin Herbarium was bombed during World War II
. The species is similar to A. weberbaueri, but has considerably larger leaves and inflorescences. As Finn Borchsenius and Rodrigo Bernal
noted in their 1996 monograph, size differences of a similar magnitude are found within other species, but at least at the type locality, where both species co-occur, A. deltoidea and A. weberbaueri give the impression of being distinctly different species.
—male and female flowers are separate, but are borne by the same plant. Inflorescence
s bear both male and female flowers and are borne singly at a node
. Male and female flowers are borne in groups of three (two male and one female flower) or four (two male and two female flowers) over the half of the inflorescence that is closer to the stem. The other half bears pairs of male flowers. Aiphanes deltoidea is unusual in that it bears male and female flowers in groups of three or four—the normal pattern in Aiphanes is to group them in threes.
Although the specific pollinators of A. deltoidea are unknown, the overall characteristics of the flowers are considered to point to fly pollination.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, is a species of palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
which is native to northeastern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Description
Aiphanes deltoidea is a small palm 0.1 to 2 m (0.328083989501312 to 6.6 ft) tall with either a single stem or two large and several smaller stems, about 6 centimetres (2.4 in) in diameter. Stems are covered with grey spinesThorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long.
Individuals have between 6 and 12 leaves which consists of a leaf sheath, a petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
and a rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
. Leaf sheaths, which wrap around the stem, are about 30 cm (12 in) long with spines similar to those on the trunk. Petioles are green, 90 to 105 cm (35.4 to 41.3 ) long, and are covered with scattered black spines up 6 6 cm (2.4 in) long. Rachises are 115 to 190 cm (45.3 to 74.8 ), and covered with spines similar to those of the petiole. Leaves each bear 11 to 14 pairs of leaflets in groups of three.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s consist of a peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
55 centimetre and a rachis 30 centimetre long. The peduncle can be almost spineless, or it can be covered with black spines up to 1 cm (0.393700787401575 in) long. The rachis bears 49 to 60 rachillae, which are the smaller branches which themselves bear the flowers. Male flowers are orange, while female flowers are light green. The mature fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
have not been described.
Distribution
The distribution of A. deltoidea is not well known, but appears to be widely distributed in the western Amazon BasinAmazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
in the foothills of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, from southern Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to Peru, and into western Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It was reportedly found in terra firme (non-flooded) forests, and although widespread, its overall density is very low, and even in areas where it is present it only occurs at low density. As a result, it was classified as a rare species
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
by Francis Kahn and Farana Moussa in 1994.
Taxonomy
AiphanesAiphanes
Aiphanes is a genus of spiny palms which is native to tropical regions of South and Central America and the Caribbean. There are about 26 species in the genus, ranging in size from understorey shrubs with subterranean stems to subcanopy trees as much as tall...
has been placed in the subfamily
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Arecoideae, the tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Cocoseae and the subtribe Bactridinae, together with Desmoncus
Desmoncus
Desmoncus is a genus of spiny palms native to the Neotropics. The genus extends from Mexico in the north to Brazil and Bolivia in the south, with two species, D. orthacanthos and D...
, Bactris
Bactris
Bactris is a genus of about 240 species in the palm family, Arecaceae, native to Central and South America, and the Caribbean. They are trees growing to 4-20 m tall. The leaves are up to 5 m long, and pinnate with numerous leaflets...
, Acrocomia
Acrocomia
Acrocomia aculeata is a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern Mexico and the Caribbean south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Common names include Grugru Palm, Macaúba Palm, Coyol Palm, and Macaw Palm; synonyms include A. lasiospatha, A. sclerocarpa, A. totai,...
and Astrocaryum
Astrocaryum
Astrocaryum is a genus of about 36 to 40 species of palms native to Central and South America and Trinidad.-Description:Astrocaryum is a genus of spiny palms with pinnately compound leaves–rows of leaflets emerge on either side of the axis of the leaf in a feather-like or fern-like pattern. Some...
. Aiphanes deltoidea was described by German botanist Max Burret
Max Burret
Karl Ewald Maximilian Burret, commonly known as Max Burret was a German botanist.Burret was born in Saffig near Andernach in the Prussian Rhine Province. He originally studied law at Lausanne and Munich at the instigation of his father...
in 1932 based on collections made in December 1924 in Peru. The type collection was destroyed when the Berlin Herbarium was bombed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The species is similar to A. weberbaueri, but has considerably larger leaves and inflorescences. As Finn Borchsenius and Rodrigo Bernal
Rodrigo Bernal
Rodrigo Bernal González is a Colombian botanist who specialises in the palm family. Bernal is a faculty member at the Institute of Natural Sciences, National University of Colombia. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Aarhus in 1996.Bernal has published over sixty works on palm...
noted in their 1996 monograph, size differences of a similar magnitude are found within other species, but at least at the type locality, where both species co-occur, A. deltoidea and A. weberbaueri give the impression of being distinctly different species.
Reproduction
Aiphanes species are pleonanthic—they flower repeatedly over the course of their lifespan—and monoeciousPlant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
—male and female flowers are separate, but are borne by the same plant. Inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s bear both male and female flowers and are borne singly at a node
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
. Male and female flowers are borne in groups of three (two male and one female flower) or four (two male and two female flowers) over the half of the inflorescence that is closer to the stem. The other half bears pairs of male flowers. Aiphanes deltoidea is unusual in that it bears male and female flowers in groups of three or four—the normal pattern in Aiphanes is to group them in threes.
Although the specific pollinators of A. deltoidea are unknown, the overall characteristics of the flowers are considered to point to fly pollination.