on the health and age of the individual tree. The stem of young 

 palms is covered with a mat of brown, thread-like fibers and stiff 

 brown spines, these falling off by the time of first fruiting. 

 Afterwards the trunk is smooth and slick, impeding efforts to 

 climb it. Thus the tree is often felled to harvest the fruits, and is 

 in danger of extinction in some areas. 



Common Names: "Seje" (Spanish); "Oxae, ,, "Pevitsa,""Ataito" 

 (Guahibo). 



Uses: The rich fruits are processed to yield an oil similar in 

 appearance and taste to olive oil. A milklike beverage is pro- 

 duced from the ripe fruits and is an important source of protein 

 (Balick & Gershoff, 1981). Bows and arrow points are also made 

 from the wood of older palms. 



8. Oenocarpus bacaba Martius, Hist. Nat. Palm. 2:24, t. 26, fig 

 1-2. 1823. 



Trunk solitary, 9- 1 5 (20) m tall, 1 1 - 1 5 cm in diameter, smooth at maturity, 

 often with a mass of slender roots at base. Leaves pinnate; sheath 70 cm long, 

 35 cm in circumference, green, edged on the upper portion with small brown 

 fibers; petiole 70 cm long by 4 cm wide at base; rachis ca 3.5 m long, covered 

 with red-brown scales, especially evident in young leaves; pinnae 86-90 per 

 side, inserted irregularly in groups of 1-5 and at various angles to the rachis; 

 basal pinnae 0.7- 1.2 m X 1.5 4.0 cm, middle pinnae 0.9-1.6 m X 3-7 cm, apical 

 pinnae 30-70 X 1.5-2.25 cm, green above with whitish-waxy bloom beneath. 

 Panicle bearing 2 bracts, the outer a prophyll 55 cm long by 20 cm wide at 

 center, the inner a peduncular bract, 0.8 2.0 m X ca 10 cm long, tapering to a 

 point; primary axis variable in size, ca 20 cm long, 4.5 cm wide at base of bract 

 scar; rachillae ca 110, 0.7-1.0 m long, attenuate, creamy-white in flower, 

 scurfy-red in fruit; flowers borne in triads of 1 inner pistillate and 2 outer 

 staminate on the proximal 3/4 of the rachilla, distal 1/4 of rachilla bearing 

 staminate flowers only. Staminate flowers with 3 sepals, 3 petals, and 6 sta- 

 mens. Fruits subglobose, 1.75-2.5 X 1.25-2.0 cm, endosperm homogenous; 

 epicarp dark purple when ripe. 



Distribution: Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, 

 Peru, Brazil. 



Oenocarpus bacaba is a social palm found in association with 

 Jessenia bataua, but fruiting at an earlier time. This species is 

 quite variable, and often intergrades into apparent hybrids with 

 O. mapora. Panicles vary greatly in size, apparently depending 

 on habitat and on age of the tree. Wessels Boer (1972) assigned 

 varietal status to the small-, medium- and large-fruited forms in 

 Venezuela, with which I cannot concur. 



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