PALM FAMILY (PALMAE) 



5. Palma de coyor 



This slender palm, 1 of the 2 native spiny species, 

 is recognized by: (1) numerous slender flattened 

 black spines or prickles 1/2-21/2 inches long on the 

 slender trunk, the leaf bases and axis and infre- 

 quently the under side of blades, and on the axes 

 of flower clusters ; (2) about 10-12 erect to spread- 

 ing pinnate leaves 10-12 feet long and 3 feet across, 

 the leaflets or segments ending in a jagged edge as 

 if torn ; (3) many small stalkless pale light yellow 

 flowers, male and female, crowded on slender 

 drooping branches of a very spiny curved axis 

 3^1/2 feet long; and (4) very numerous bright red, 

 cherrylike, fleshy fruits 1/2-% inch in diameter. 



A small to medium-sized palm to 40 feet high, 

 evergreen, with slender, straight, erect, un- 

 branched trunk 4-8 inches in diameter, not taper- 

 ing. Only slightly enlarged at the base, which 

 bears a mass of spiny prop roots. The light brown 

 trunk has indistinct rings of old leaf scars 3 inches 

 or less apart and bears rings of many flattened 

 black spines 1-2 inches long, pointed downward a 

 little. Spines on old trunks often are fewer or 

 nearly absent. Inside the hard smooth surface 

 of the trunk is a very thin brown layer; next, a 

 thin layer of whitisli fibers, then a vei-y hard black 

 woody ring 1/4 inch or more in width, and in the 

 center the soft whitish pith with scattered woody 

 fibers. 



Several alternate very large coarse leaves are at- 

 tached 3 inches or less apart in a terminal cluster 

 at apex of trunk. The stout spiny petiole about 

 4 feet long, gray to green, is grooved above and 

 enlarged at base, being attaclied more than half- 

 way around the tnnik, but has no encircling sheath. 

 The blade, about 7-8 feet long, is composed of 

 many narrow leaflets or segments 2-21^ feet long 

 and 21/^-31/2 inches wide, narrowest at base and 

 widest at end. These alternate segments spread 

 nearly horizontally on both sides of the keeled 

 green axis. Toward apex the segments become 

 shorter and in about the last 1 foot of blade are in 

 1 piece not split apart. They ai-e leathery, paral- 

 lel-veined, green and slightly shiny on upper sur- 

 face and dull light green beneath. Slender flat- 



Aiphanes acanthophylla (Mart.) Burret 



tened black spines about 1 inch long are scattered 

 along lower part of leaf axis, and a few are borne 

 on under side of segments. Old dead leaves hang 

 down vertically until they separate smoothly from 

 the ti-mik. 



Curved drooping flower clusters (panicles) are 

 3-41/2 feet long, borne singly inside base of old 

 leaves. The densely spiny axis has 2 brownish 

 spiny sheaths (spathes), the short outer one less 

 than 1 foot long and 2-pointed, and the inner one 

 long and narrow and very spiny, about as long as 

 the axis and 21/4 inches wide. Many vei"y slender 

 drooping branches about 9 inches long, light yel- 

 low ancl spineless, bear very numerous stalkless 

 light yellow or whitish male and female flowers 

 (monoecious) ; the female flowers scattered along 

 lower part of branch, 1 below 2 male flowers. 

 Male flowers V^ inch across consist of 3 minute 

 pointed sepals, 3 widely spreading pointed light 

 yellow petals more than i/g inch long, fi widely 

 .spreading light yellow stamens nearly as long as 

 l^etals, and rudimentary pistil. Female flowers 

 have 3 minute sepals, corolla with 3 pointed light 

 yellow lobes Vs inch long, and whitish pistil less 

 "than i/s inch long with 3-celled ovary and pointed 

 style. 



Fruits are produced m great quantities, several 

 on the lower part of each branch of the axis. They 

 are slightly broader than long, whitish green when 

 immature, turning to shiny bright red. The thin 

 orange flesh is mealy and tasteless. The single 

 brown seed is rounded, about Vie inch in diameter, 

 its surface much pitted. Inside the hard shell is a 

 white edible oily nutmeat, suggesting coconut in 

 taste thouffh much smaller. Flowering and fruit- 

 ing probably through the year. 



Found in the moist limestone forests of Puerto 

 Rico. 



PuuLic FORESTS. — Cambalaclie, Rio Abajo. 



Range. — Known only from Puerto Rico. 



Other common names.^ — coyore, coyure, coyora 

 (Puerto Rico) ; coyure ruffle-palm (English). 



Botanical synonym. — Bactris acanthophylla 

 Mart. 



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