OF THE AMAZON. 103 



PLATE XXXIX. 



ASTROCARYUM GYNACANTHTJM, MartiuS. 



Mumbaca, Lingoa Geral. 



This species has a rather slender stem about fifteen 

 feet high, covered with long, flat, black spines, arranged 

 in regular rings and pointing downwards. The leaves 

 are terminal, rather large and pinnate. The leaflets 

 spread regularly in one plane, and are elongate and 

 acute, the terminal pair being rather shorter and 

 broader. The bases of the petioles are broadly sheath- 

 ing, and are all densely spiny. 



The spadices grow from the bases of the lower leaves, 

 and are erect when in flower, but hang down with the 

 ripe fruit, which grows in a dense cluster at the end of 

 the long stalk which is very spiny, as is also the elon- 

 gate persistent spathe. The fruit is small, ovate, of a 

 red colour and not eatable. 



This palm grows in the virgin forests of the Upper 

 Rio Negro, and a nearly allied or perhaps identical 

 species is common about the city of Para. 



