Phytelephas seemannii

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Phytelephas seemannii
specimen of Phytelephas seemannii found in the riparian forest of Rio Guanxhez, Colón Province, Panama

Conservation Dependent  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Phytelephas
Species:
P. seemannii
Binomial name
Phytelephas seemannii
Subspecies[3]
Synonyms[3]

Phytelephas seemannii, commonly called Panama ivory palm, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is one of the plants used for vegetable ivory.

Names

The

tagua.[5] In Colombian Spanish it is additionally known as allagua.[5] In Cuna it is sam,[3] or sagu.[5] In both the Quechua[3] and Choco languages it is called anta.[5]

Habitat

Phytelephas seemannii is native to

lowland rainforest in Colombia's Pacific/Chocó natural region.[1][4] It is usually found at elevations from 0–1,000 metres (0–3,281 ft) in semi-deciduous forests.[3]

Subspecies

Phytelephas seemannii has two subspecies,

Mamoní Valley in Panama, at or below 500 metres (1,600 ft) in elevation, and may be a hybrid of P. seemannii and P. macrocarpa.[3]

Description

Phytelephas seemannii most closely resembles

spathes are double instead of in threes or fours.[2] On the male flowers are only 36 stamens and not the hundreds of other species.[2] The heads contain fewer fruits than other species, but inside are more nuts that are larger.[2] Typically each fruit has 5 seeds protected by a 1 centimetre (0.39 in) fibrous coat, and each inflorescence has up to 8 fruits.[6] Each tree can have dozens of inflorescences at a time.[6]

In immature seeds, the endosperm is a liquid, like in a coconut, and then later it hardens as the fruit wall softens and deteriorates.[6]

Ecology

Panama ivory palm trees flower after the end of the

Agouti paca).[8][6]

Uses

The seeds are traded at a regional international level as vegetable ivory,[1] which is also called tagua. This commercial use is a threat to the species, but progress is being made on using more sustainable practices and conservation.[1] As the tree typically grows only 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall, it fortunately was not chopped down to harvest the seeds as was done with Phytelephas aequatorialis at the peak of tagua harvesting.[6]

The jelly-like liquid in the immature seeds, which later turns into the vegetable ivory, is edible.[5] Occasionally in the marketplaces of Guna Yala the thin crust surrounding the ivory is sold as food.[5]

In Colombia the fronds are sometimes used for

thatch.[5]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T38636A10141062.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^
    OCLC 1716991
    .
  3. ^
    OCLC 488691909. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help
    )
  4. ^ a b Arecaceae Phytelephas seemannii O.F.Cook. Vol. 242. 30 January 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018. Distribution: Chocó (Colombia, Western South America, Southern America) Type Information Collector(s): B.C.Seemann s.n. 1847 Type Location: lectotype BM {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  5. ^
    OCLC 475457456
    .
  6. ^
    OCLC 194618633. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2015-12-29. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  7. ^
    JSTOR 2389054. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  8. JSTOR 41759760
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phytelephas_seemannii&oldid=1203085666"