monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
flowering plants
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the
palm
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
** List of Arecaceae genera
**Palm oil
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music ...
family found in
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
and
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
. The sole species is ''Ammandra decasperma'', although another species name has been proposed. It is a
pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and ...
-leaved,
dioecious
Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...
palm whose
seeds
In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds are the ...
and petioles are used in button and basket making, respectively. It is commonly called ivory palm or cabecita.
Description
''Ammandra decasperma'' grows in multi-headed clusters, the trunks usually remaining underground or prostrate upon it. Despite the negligible trunk size, the
leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
reach over 6 m long, slightly arching, on 2 m petioles. The linear leaflets are dark green, 60–90 cm long, and emerge from the rachis in the same plane. In male plants, the
inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
is a long spike covered in short branches of white to yellow flowers, the female's being much shorter and more compact. The round
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
grows in clusters of 3-6 and is covered in pointed warts, each fruit containing six or more kidney shaped
seeds
In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds are the ...
.Uhl, Natalie W. and Dransfield, John (1987) ''Genera Palmarum - A classification of palms based on the work of Harold E. Moore''. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. /
Taxonomy
The type species described by Cook was ''Ammandra decasperma''; a similar population was found being geographically separated and with minor flower differences and was designated ''A. dasyneura'' (Burret). In 2001, Bernal et al. published the discovery of an ''Ammandra'' population located between the other two with floral characteristics represented in both groups. They, and other taxonomists since, concluded that the three populations were of a single species (see distribution map).Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) ''An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms''. Portland: Timber Press. / (Page 250)
Separately, the only species in the closely related genus '
Aphandra
''Aphandra'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the palm family native to the Amazon rainforest vegetation in South America (Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru). Its only species is ''Aphandra natalia'', sometimes called mastodon palm or fiber pa ...
'', ''Aphandra natalia'', was initially described as ''Ammandra natalia'' but was later given its own genus.
The genus name translates from
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
to "sand man", because "The stamens are minute and have the appearance of small grains of sand scattered over the surface of the receptacles",Cook, O.F. (1927) New Genera and Species of Ivory Palms from Colombia Ecuador and Peru. in Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. vol 27. p. 218 and the species epithet derives from two
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
words meaning "ten" and "seed", describing the maximum number of seeds per fruit.
Distribution and habitat
These palms grow in the foothills of the
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
mountains, along
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
's west coast as well as inland
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
up to 450 m in elevation. In either case, they are an understory plant usually receiving only filtered light and nearly year-round rainfall.
Cultivation and uses
''Ammandra'' is not common in cultivation outside its natural range but when grown, it requires wet and warm conditions resembling the rain forest and will not tolerate full sun when young. It also prefers free-draining, highly organic soil. In Colombia, their large, strong petioles are commonly woven into baskets and other thatched goods, while the large white
seed
In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...
s, commonly called "
vegetable ivory
Vegetable ivory or Phytelephas, tagua nut is a product made from the very hard white endosperm of the seeds of certain Arecaceae, palm trees. Vegetable ivory is named for its resemblance to ivory, animal ivory. Vegetable ivory is naturally white ...
", are carved into
button
A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.
In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, or ...