near the base of the rachillas between 2 male flowers, subtended 
by bracts; sepals ovate, imbricate, 7 mm. long, 8 mm. wide, petals 
ovate, valvate, acute at apex, ligneous-incrassate, 10 mm. long, 
6 mm. wide; pistil globose, 4 mm. in diameter, stigma 3-fid, sessile, 
erect, 3-4 mm. long, strongly papillose. Fruit depressed-globose, 
3-seeded or by abortion 1- or 2-seeded; exocarp corky, angulate- 
echinate, tubercles rather hard and not easily rubbed off; seed 
globose, about 4 cm, in diameter; embryo basal . . . 
In this account of the genus, the most recent, Wessels Boer 
goes on to identify four species of Manicaria, very con- 
spicuous and abundant swamp plants. The Manicaria occur 
in forests interspersed with other trees but also form colonies, 
or temichales, of great density. Manicaria saccifera is known 
in Venezuela as temiche (timiche, timiti), an Arawakan 
noun; in Guyana as truli, a Cariban term; and in Brazil as 
ubussti, a Tupian word meaning “big leaves” (Civrieux 1957: 
195-232). The Warao refer to it poetically as yahuhi 
(yawihi) meaning “plumes of the sun,” descriptive of the 
leaves that look like giant bird feathers. 
The Origin Myth of the Temiche Palm 
Long ago there was an old woman who followed her 
husband to live in the lowlands of the Delta. Life was easier 
for the old couple there than where they had come from, 
and they greatly enjoyed the cool water of the bogland and 
the sea breeze that incessantly fanned their new home. The 
name of the old woman was Yahuhi. 
As time went by, the woman felt a strange transformation 
taking place all over her body. First her eyes began to clear 
up so that she could see well again. Then the wrinkles in 
her face disappeared, her body firmed up like that of a girl, 
and her complexion became healthy and youthful looking. 
Even the voice of the old woman changed back to that of a 
maiden, and she began to sing with happiness over her re- 
gained youth. 
The husband of the woman was equally taken by surprise 
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