Aiphanes horrida
Aiphanes horrida is a palm native to northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago. Aiphanes horrida is a solitary, spiny tree. In the wild it grows 3–10 metres tall (9–30 feet) tall with a stem diameter of 6–10 centimetres (2–4 inches); cultivated trees may be as much as 15 m (49') tall with a 15 cm (6") diameter.[2] The epicarp and mesocarp of the fruit are rich in carotene and are eaten in Colombia, while the seeds are used to make candles.[3] In parts of the Colombian Llanos endocarps are used to play games.[2]
| Aiphanes horrida | |
|---|---|
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| Aiphanes horrida in the Jena Botanical Garden | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Aiphanes |
| Species: | A. horrida |
| Binomial name | |
| Aiphanes horrida | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Caryota horrida Jacq. | |
The range of the species is found in dry forests between sea level and 1700 m (5600') above sea level in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, but is not native to Ecuador.[3] The species is cultivated as an ornamental throughout the tropics.[2]
Many authors, including Henderson et al. (1995)[3] and Borchenius and Bernal (1996)[2] use A. aculeata rather than A. horrida, giving Jacquin's description of Caryota horrida a publication date of 1809, three years after Willdenow's 1806 description. On the other hand, Govaerts et al. (2006)[4] gives Jacquin's work a publication date of 1801, giving A. horrida priority over A. aculeata.
Common names
Aiphanes horrida is commonly known by a variety of names including Cocos rura, Mararay, Corozo, Macagüita, Marará,[3] Macahuite, Corozo del Orinoco, Corozo anchame, Mararava, Cubarro, Chonta, Chascaraza, Charascal, Corozo chiquito, Corozo colorado, Pujamo, Gualte, Chonta ruro,[2] Pupunha xicaxica,[5] Coyure palm, Ruffle palm, Aculeata palm[6] and Spine palm.
Chemistry
The stilbenolignan aiphanol, isorhapontigenin, piceatannol and luteolin can be found in the seeds of Aiphanes aculeata.[7]
References
- "Aiphanes horrida (Jacq.) Burret, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 11: 575 (1932)". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Archived from the original on 2013-08-02. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- Borchsenius, Finn; Rodrigo Bernal (December 1996). "Aiphanes (Palmae)". Flora Neotropica. 70.
- Henderson, Andrew; Gloria Galeano; Rodrigo Bernal (1995). Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-08537-4.
- Govaerts, R.; J. Henderson; S.F. Zona; D.R. Hodel; A. Henderson (2006). "World Checklist of Arecaceae". The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 21 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- Campos, Marina Thereza; Christiane Ehringhaus (2003). "Plant Virtues Are in the Eyes of the Beholders: A Comparison of Known Palm Uses Among Indigenous and Folk Communities of Southwestern Amazonia". Economic Botany. 57 (3): 324–344. doi:10.1663/0013-0001(2003)057[0324:PVAITE]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0013-0001.
- "Aiphanes horrida". PACSOA, the Palm and Cycad Society of Australia. Archived from the original on 14 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- Lee, D; Cuendet, M; Vigo, JS; Graham, JG; Cabieses, F; Fong, HH; Pezzuto, JM; Kinghorn, AD (2001). "A novel cyclooxygenase-inhibitory stilbenolignan from the seeds of Aiphanes aculeata". Organic Letters. 3 (14): 2169–71. doi:10.1021/ol015985j. PMID 11440571.
External links
- Aiphanes horrida, PACSOA, the Palm and Cycad Society of Australia—includes images of the tree, foliage and fruit.
