Syagrus vermiculari

Noblick, Larry R., 2017, A revision of the genus Syagrus (Arecaceae), Phytotaxa 294 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

62. Syagrus vermiculari s Noblick (2004: 109). Type:— BRAZIL. Maranhão : Açailândia, Fazenda Itaibaiana (Companhia Vale do Rio Doce), ca. 17 km S on BR- 110 km 1398, 100–150 m, –5.03, –47.02, 6 September 1994, L.R. Noblick & J.A. Feitosa 4971 (holotype IPA!, isotypes FTG!, Herbarium of Fazenda Itaibaiana !, K!, MO!, NY!, US!)

Figures 84–85 plates, Figure 86 map.

Moderate to large, solitary palm. Stem 8–15 m × 12–20 cm, erect, columnar with a large root boss to ca. 45 cm, self-cleaning, conspicuously ringed with oblique leaf scars, the new internodes densely covered with a white caducous wooly indument, which later sloughs off, the rings becoming less distinct; internode length ca. 9–17 cm. Leaves ca. 12–15 in the crown, spirally arranged, spreading; leaf sheath ca. 80 cm long, pseudopetiole 40–100 × ca. 18–20 cm, sheath margins composed of a finely-netted matting of fibers that easily break away leaving a finely fibrous margin, pseudopetiole and petiole, covered adaxially with a wooly caducous indument; petiole 3–8 × ca. 3.1–4.4, 1.5–2.2 cm thick at the base of the leaf blade; leaf rachis 2.2–2.5 m long with ca. 100–140 pairs of leaflets distributed in clusters of 2 or 3 in various divergent planes; ramenta scales or tomentum present where the leaflets are inserted on the rachis and also along the abaxial midvein, especially on the proximal portion of the basal

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NOBLICK leaflets; basal leaflets 59–63 × 0.4–0.6 cm, middle leaflets ca. 80–90 × 3–4 cm, apical leaflets 44–47 × 0.2–0.5 cm with an asymmetric tip. Inflorescence erect, later pendulous, spirally branched; prophyll 72–82 cm long; peduncular bract ca. 90–110 cm long, the expanded part of the bract ca. 55–74 × 27–29 cm, including a beak of 4– 5 cm, 30–37 cm perimeter, 5–9 mm thickness, sometimes separating from the peduncle before fruits mature; peduncle 36–61 × 4 cm, 2 cm thick, elliptical in cross-section; inflorescence axis 63–92 cm long; rachis 49–52 cm long; rachillae ca. 70–137, apical ones ca. 54 cm long, basal ones ca. 118 cm, a major part of the upper or apical portion of the rachillae devoid of any flowers, sterile, folded back and forth on themselves like noodles or worm-like; staminate flowers 9–10 mm long at the apex, 10–11 × ca. 5–7 mm at the base, green to yellow, bright yellow drying white or cream-colored; sepals 2–3 × ca. 2 mm, distinct, triangular, acute, membranaceous, glabrous, inconspicuous nerves, petals obovate, ca. 7 mm long at the apex, 8–9 × 4–4.5 mm at the base, fleshy, glabrous, with inconspicuous venation, obtuse to broadly acute; stamens 4–6 mm long, anthers 3.5–4 mm long, filaments 1.5–2 m long, pistillode, less than 0.5 mm long; pistillate flowers conical, ca. 9–13 × 8–10 mm, yellow turning green, sessile; sepals ca. 8 × ca. 8 mm, glabrous, without visible venation, sclerenchymous or fleshy, acute, faintly keeled at tip, petals 10–11 × 8–9 mm, with valvate tips ca. 1/5 the length of the petal, ca. 2–3 mm long, triangular, indistinctly nerved, glabrous, acute; pistil (of receptive flower), ovoid, 9 × 7–8 mm, wooly tomentose, persisting as tomentum on the apex of the fruit; stigmas 1–2 mm long; staminodal ring ca. 2.5–3 mm high, undulate with ca. 6 undulations, three small residual teeth, one on every other undulation. Fruit ovoid, 5–6 × 4 cm, orange when mature, cupule (persistent perianth) dark brown, ca. 2 cm in diameter × ca. 1 cm high; petals slightly longer than sepals, staminodal ring truncate, ca. 3 mm high × 10 mm diam.; epicarp less than 0.5 mm thick, smooth for most part, but tomentose at apex, mesocarp 2–3 mm thick, succulent and fibrous (pulpy) remaining as a fibrous mat over endocarp; endocarp ovoid, 4.5–5 × ca. 3.5–4 cm, ca. 6 mm thick, hard, bony, brown to red-brown, apex with a distinctive, trilobed protuberance or beak, interior smooth, trivittate, slightly triangular in cross-section, outer surface nearly smooth, with small fibers, only slightly pitted, pores 3 (rarely 4) nearly even with surface, sutures visible especially at apex; seed ellipsoid, 3 × 2.5–3.2 cm, endosperm homogeneous. Germination remote-tubular with a long, cotyledonary sheath penetrating deeply before sending up a plumule.

Common name:— pati ( Brazil), noodle palm ( USA). Pati is also applied to S. botryophora from the Atlantic coastal rain forest.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, vermicularis , means worm-like and refers to the ends of rachillae that are twisty, tangled and devoid of flowers, resembling a tangle of worms.

Distribution and habitat:— This species grows in the Brazilian states of Maranhão, Pará, Tocantins, Mato Grosso (?), and Rondônia in semideciduous forests and in transitional to tropical humid forest, persisting in secondary vegetation and in open pastures. In the state of Maranhão, it was discovered in the mid-western portion near Açailândia and Imperatriz. It was also observed in the state of Pará near Serra Carajás and the Rio Paraupebas. It is probably common in the northern part of the state of Tocantins as well. Syagrus vermicularis has been photographed in Rondônia (H. Lorenzi, pers. comm.), so it would not be surprising to discover that it grows in Mato Grosso as well, although no collections have yet been made from there. Ideally, it grows in pre-Amazonian seasonally wet, marginal or secondary forests on terra firme with deep lateritic clay soils on rolling or steep slopes at ca. 100– 200 m. elevation. Also seen on lower slopes adjacent to river floodplains near Carajás.

Conservation:— Syagrus vermicularis is threatened by the heavy lumbering practices that are reducing the regional forests to pasture. However, this palm species seems to thrive in secondary growth, and farmers often maintain the trees in their pastures. Even though some populations are protected within a few private preserves owned by the Vale do Rio Doce Mining company, because of the expanding lumbering interests and the potential for continued rapid decline of its habitat, it is classified as vulnerable, VU A2c.

Phenology:— It fruits in the months of September–November, and the seeds will germinate in 2–4 months. Once this species obtains its adult stem diameter, the palm grows rapidly but does not become reproductively active until it reaches a height of about 6–7 m. In Brazil, many of the trees in September still had immature developing fruit. A small number had mature fruits, and fewer still had flowers. The first few inflorescences of young palms frequently produce only male flowers, and often these appear outside their normal season. At Montgomery Botanical Center ( MBC), all of the flowering and mature fruiting occurs in the late summer and fall (August–November), which is also the rainy season in Florida. At MBC, several new inflorescences were observed opening in the later part of August and into October , the fruits of which were not ready until the following year. This cycle of flowering and fruiting appears to be nearly the same in both Brazil and Florida, despite one being far above the equator and the other being just a few degrees below it .

A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

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NOBLICK A REVISION OF THE GENUS SYAGRUS

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Uses:— The fruit has an edible mesocarp and seed. The plant is fast growing and possesses ornamental attributes that justify its cultivation in tropical and subtropical areas.

Notes:— This is the only Syagrus species with rachillae whose tips are completely devoid of flowers and are coiled and twisted like spaghetti. The young fast-growing tree trunks are covered with a caducous white waxy coating or waxy bloom that disappears with age. Some specimens of this species will dehisce their peduncular bract early, which has not yet been observed in other species of Syagrus , and its large endocarps possess a prominent trilobed beak (seen only occasionally in S. botryophora ). A study of the leaf anatomy revealed that just below the upper leaf epidermis, there is a continuous one-cell thick layer of sclerenchyma fibers that is more or less present in all Amazonian species of Syagrus and in a few Atlantic coastal species ( Noblick, 2013a). The Amazonian Syagrus possessing this character are S. sancona , S. inajai , S. orinocensis , S. stenopetala , S. cocoides , S. smithii and S. stratincola . The closely related Syagrus from the Atlantic Forest are S. botryophora and S. pseudococos .

Representative specimens:— BRAZIL. Maranhão: Açailândia, 5–6 km S. of the city on BR-010 (Açailândia/Imperatriz road), –5.03, –47.02, 8 September 1994, L.R. Noblick et al. 4974 (FTG!, IPA!, K!, NY!); Pará, Canaã dos Carajas , na area de mineração, Serra do Sossego, 250 m, –6.44, –50.10, 21 January 2003, H. Lorenzi 3623 (HPL!); Marabá: Carajás, Marabá Highway, 8 km from the entrance to Serra Carajás , 20 April 1985. A.B. Anderson & M. Rosa 2202 (MG!); Parauapebas, Próximo Sítio de Chagas [near Chagas farm, margin of the Parauapeba River, Raimundo Mascarenha road], 19 October 1990, J.P. Silva 650 (Herbarium of Carajás—HCJS!); Parauapebas, Serra dos Carajás , fazenda em Parauapebas; 12 January 1990, J.B.P. Rocha & J.P. Silva 666 (Herbarium of Carajás—HCJS!); Parauapebas, Serra dos Carajás , fazenda em Parauapebas; 12 January 1990, J.P. Silva 695 (Herbarium of Carajás—HCJS!); Lugar Antonina, região de Araguatins, 17 August 1961, E. Oliveira 1760 (IAN!); Rondônia: Alta do Floresta d’Oeste, area de Hidroelétrica da Figueira, 447 m, –12.00, –62.17, 10 December 2008, H. Lorenzi 6573 (HPL!).

Figures

FIGURE 84. Syagrus vermicularis. A. Habit. B. Leaf. C. Leaflet. D. Section of leaf rachis showing inserted leaflets. E–G. Staminate (male) flower. H. Receptive pistillate (female) flower. I. Pistillate flower showing tomentose ovary. J. Dried fruits. K. Endocarp shown in longitudinal section. L. Endocarp showing the trilobed beak at the apex. M. Inflorescence showing the “ramen noodle-like” ends of the rachillae that are devoid of flowers. Habit drawn from MBC accession number 94690*G. Leaf, leaflet, flowers and inflorescence drawn fresh from 94690*D. and endocarp and fruit drawn from Noblick & Feitosa 4971. All scales are in centimeters with exception of A, which is a 1 m scale. Drawn by Wes Jurgens.

FIGURE 85. Syagrus vermicularis. A. Palm in its natural habitat, Noblick & Feitosa 4971. B. Habit of cultivated palm grown from seed (MBC 94690). C. Crown with inflorescences and infructescences. D. Inflorescence with newly emerged inflorescence. E. Inflorescence showing the long yellow noodle-like rachillae tips that are devoid of any flowers. F. Infructescences demonstrating the rapid growth of the stem as the inflorescences continue to mature for a period of one year below the crown. G. Leaf and infructescence with immature green fruits held by J.A. Feitosa. H. Infructescence with peduncular bract. I. Endocarps showing triangularly lobed beak, basal endocarp pores and homogeneous endosperm. Grid is in centimeters.

FIGURE 86. Distribution maps of Syagrus vermicularis, S. weddelliana, S. werdermannii and S. yungasensis.