Allagoptera
Encyclopedia
Allagoptera is a monoecious genus
of flowering plant
in the palm
family found in South America
consisting of four similar-looking species
. Compared to other genera within the Cocoeae it is described as particularly specialized. The genus name is a Greek
combination of "change" and "feather", describing the full leaf; it was formerly named Diplothemium.
leaves are gently arching to 2 m and are carried on long, slender petioles which are adaxially channeled. The single-fold leaflets are regularly or irregularly arranged on the rachis each protruding into a different plane, creating a plumose leaf. The unusual spicate inflorescence
emerges from within the leaf-crown carrying the pistilate flowers basally with the staminate flowers growing distally. The single-seeded fruit
is yellow to brown, growing in crowded clusters.
, Paraguay
, Bolivia
, and Argentina
growing in a variety of habitats. Some thrive in sandy beaches and dunes, while others are found in woodlands; Allagoptera species are also common along sandstone hills and in the Cerrado
vegetation.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the 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...
family found in 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...
consisting of four similar-looking species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Compared to other genera within the Cocoeae it is described as particularly specialized. The genus name is a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
combination of "change" and "feather", describing the full leaf; it was formerly named Diplothemium.
Description
The four salt-tolerant palms in this genus produce very short or acaulescent trunks and in cases where the trunk grows erect it often makes a downward turn leaving the crown below the trunk-base. The trunks in Allagoptera are among the few in the palm family which tend to bifurcate, producing multiple heads per unit. The pinnatePinnate
Pinnate is a term used to describe feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in plant or animal structures, and comes from the Latin word pinna meaning "feather", "wing", or "fin". A similar term is pectinate, which refers to a comb-like arrangement of parts...
leaves are gently arching to 2 m and are carried on long, slender petioles which are adaxially channeled. The single-fold leaflets are regularly or irregularly arranged on the rachis each protruding into a different plane, creating a plumose leaf. The unusual spicate 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...
emerges from within the leaf-crown carrying the pistilate flowers basally with the staminate flowers growing distally. The single-seeded 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,...
is yellow to brown, growing in crowded clusters.
Distribution and habitat
Palms in this genus are found in BrazilBrazil
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...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
growing in a variety of habitats. Some thrive in sandy beaches and dunes, while others are found in woodlands; Allagoptera species are also common along sandstone hills and in the Cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
vegetation.