Bactris, such as those sold in season in the market of Iquitos, 



Peru. 



Common Names: "Espina" (Spanish); "Xaneeboto" (Gua- 



hibo). 



Uses: The fruits are edible and used to quench thirst. 



4. Astrocaryum aff. munbaca Martius, Hist. Nat. Palm. 2:74 



1824. 



Trunk 5 m tall, 5 cm in diameter, armed with rings of flattened black spines 

 4-6 cm long. Leaves pinnate; sheath ca 18 cm long; petiole ca 74 cm long; 

 rachis ca 1.4 cm long, all with flattened spines; 19 pinnae per side, more or less 

 oppositely arranged; apical pinnae 60 X 1.5 cm; middle pinnae 50-70 X 4 cm; 

 basal pinnae 50 X2.5 cm, dark green, glossy above, scurfy-whitish on under- 

 side. Panicle 60 cm long; peduncle covered with black spines to 1 mm long; 

 peduncular bract 68 cm long by 8 cm in circumference, densely covered with 

 dark spines 5-6 mm in length; rachis bearing more than 100 rachillae with a 

 single pistillate flower at base of each. Pistillate flowers ca 8 mm long. Fruits 

 obovate, long-rostrate at apex, ca 3 cm long, excluding the rostrum (I cm 



long), brownish-red at maturity. 



Distribution (of A. munbaca): Brazil, Colombia, Surinam, Venezuela. 



A small population of this plant was found growing under 

 semi-open canopy in gallery forest, on firm ground. Because of 

 the lack of flowers or fruits, its identification cannot be certain, 



mun 



b 



plant from the Rio Caraparana in the Vaupes and noted that 

 the fruits are edible. I have been unable to locate additional 

 material of this species from Colombia. Perhaps this collection 



mazon 



and that of the Orinoco drainage in Colombia. The species is 

 found in Venezuela, in T. F. Amazonas. 



Common Names: "Cubarillo" (Spanish); "Xaneeboto" (Gua- 



hibo). 



Uses: While no uses are reported for this region, the fruits are 



consumed in the Amazon Valley. 



5. Astrocaryum acaule Martius, Hist. Nat. Palm. 2:78, t. 24, 63, 

 fig. 5. 1824. 



9 



