Ammandra
Encyclopedia
Ammandra is a monotypic
genus
of flowering plant
in the palm
family found in South America
where it is endangered. The sole species is Ammandra decasperma, although another species has been recognized. They are a pinnate
-leaved, dioecious
palm whose seeds
and petioles
are used in button and basket making, respectively. It is commonly called Ivory palm or cabecita.
reach over 6 m long, slightly arching, on 2 m petioles. The linear leaflets are dark green, 60-90 cm long, and emerge from the rachis in the same plane. In male plants the inflorescence
is a long spike covered in short branches of white to yellow flowers, the female's being much shorter and more compact. The round fruit
grows in clusters of 3-6 and is covered in pointed warts, each fruit containing six or more kidney shaped seeds
.
Separately, the only species in the closely related Aphandra
genus, Aphandra natalia, was initially described as Ammandra natalia but was later given its own genus.
The genus name translates from Greek
to "sand man", alluding to their inflorescences which are formed at ground level, often beneath the soil, and the species epithet derives from two Latin
words meaning "ten" and "seed", describing the maximum number of seeds per fruit.
mountains, along Colombia
's west coast as well as inland Ecuador
up to 450 m in elevation. In either case, they are an understory plant usually receiving only filtered light and nearly year-round rainfall.
In Colombia, their large, strong petioles are commonly woven into baskets and other thatched goods, while the large white seed
s, commonly called "vegetable ivory
", are carved into button
s and trinkets.
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
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...
where it is endangered. The sole species is Ammandra decasperma, although another species has been recognized. They are a pinnate
Pinnate
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...
-leaved, dioecious
Dioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...
palm whose seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
and petioles
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...
are used in button and basket making, respectively. It is commonly called Ivory palm or cabecita.
Description
A. decasperma grows in multi-headed clusters, the trunks usually remaining underground or prostrate upon it. Despite the negligible trunk size, the leavesLeaves
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reach over 6 m long, slightly arching, on 2 m petioles. The linear leaflets are dark green, 60-90 cm long, and emerge from the rachis in the same plane. In male plants the 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...
is a long spike covered in short branches of white to yellow flowers, the female's being much shorter and more compact. The round 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,...
grows in clusters of 3-6 and is covered in pointed warts, each fruit containing six or more kidney shaped seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
.
Taxonomy
The type species described by Cook was Ammandra decasperma; a similar population was found being geographically separated and with minor flower differences and was designated A. dasyneura (Burret). In September 2001 Bernal et al. published the discovery of an Ammandra population located between the other two with floral characteristics represented in both groups. They, and other taxonomists since, concluded that the three populations were of a single species (see distribution map).Separately, the only species in the closely related Aphandra
Aphandra
Aphandra is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family native to the Amazon Rainforest vegetation in South America . Its only species is Aphandra natalia, sometimes called mastodon palm or fiber palm, and is used by indigenous peoples in the construction of brooms and other products...
genus, Aphandra natalia, was initially described as Ammandra natalia but was later given its own genus.
The genus name translates from 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;...
to "sand man", alluding to their inflorescences which are formed at ground level, often beneath the soil, and the species epithet derives from two Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
words meaning "ten" and "seed", describing the maximum number of seeds per fruit.
Distribution and habitat
These palms grow in the foothills of the AndesAndes
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...
mountains, along 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...
's west coast as well as inland Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
up to 450 m in elevation. In either case, they are an understory plant usually receiving only filtered light and nearly year-round rainfall.
Cultivation and uses
Ammandra is not common in cultivation outside its natural range but when grown requires wet and warm conditions resembling the rain forest and will not tolerate full sun when young. It also prefers free-draining, highly organic soil.In Colombia, their large, strong petioles are commonly woven into baskets and other thatched goods, while the large white seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, commonly called "vegetable ivory
Vegetable ivory
Vegetable ivory is a product made from the very hard white endosperm of the seeds of certain palm trees. Vegetable ivory is named for its resemblance to elephant ivory. Species in the genus Phytelephas, native to South America are the most important sources of vegetable ivory...
", are carved into button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
s and trinkets.