Butia Odorata
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''Butia odorata'', also known as the South American jelly palm, jelly palm, or pindo palm, is a ''
Butia ''Butia'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, native to the South American countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Many species produce edible fruits, which are sometimes used to make alcoholic beverages and other foods. ...
''
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 ...
native to southernmost
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. This slow-growing palm grows up to 10m, although it is often less tall. It is identifiable by its feather palm pinnate leaves that arch inwards towards a thick stout trunk.


Nomenclature

These palms are often called ''
Butia capitata ''Butia capitata'', is known as Cocus Capitata and also known as jelly palm, is a ''Butia'' Arecaceae, palm native to the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás in Brazil. It is known locally as ''coquinho-azedo'' or ''butiá'' in (northern) Minas Ger ...
'' in horticulture. It was seen as a synonym of that more tropical species until 2011, and many botanical gardens, collectors, and those in the nursery trade have not yet changed their labelling. Even more confusingly; plants with the invented name ''B. capitata'' var. ''odorata'' have circulated in the horticultural trade which were actually the in 2010 newly named ''B. catarinensis'', from further north along the Brazilian coast. In
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...
, Brazil, local vernacular names for this plant in Portuguese are ''butiá-da-praia'', or just ''butiá''.


Etymology

The specific epithet ''odorata'' is derived from the Latin word for 'perfumed' and was chosen by
João Barbosa Rodrigues João Barbosa Rodrigues (June 22, 1842 – March 6, 1909) was considered one of Brazil's greatest botanists, known especially for his work on orchids and palms. For nearly two decades he was director of the Botanic Garden of Rio de Janeiro. Somet ...
in 1891 to reflect the highly aromatic nature of the fruit, considered among the best palm fruit for consumption in Brazil at the time.


Taxonomy

Until 2011 this species was lumped together with ''
Butia capitata ''Butia capitata'', is known as Cocus Capitata and also known as jelly palm, is a ''Butia'' Arecaceae, palm native to the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás in Brazil. It is known locally as ''coquinho-azedo'' or ''butiá'' in (northern) Minas Ger ...
'', a species first described by
Karl Friedrich Philipp von Martius Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Between 1817 and 1820, he travelled 10,000 km through Brazil while collecting botanical specimens. His most impo ...
in 1826 in montane grasslands in the inner country in
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. During fieldwork in the southeast of the state of
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
, the US palm botanist Larry R. Noblick observed the real ''B. capitata'' ''
in situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in place' or 'on site', derived from ' ('in') and ' ( ablative of ''situs'', ). The term typically refers to the examination or occurrence of a process within its original context, without relocation. The term is use ...
'', and being quite familiar with cultivated ''B. odorata'' in Florida where he worked, and having visited the coastal population in 1996, became convinced that they could not represent one of two very disjunct populations of the same species. Noblick incorrectly attempted to separate the taxa twice, in 2004 and 2010, before finally succeeding in 2011, choosing the oldest name which had unambiguously been given to this population: ''Cocos odorata'' by
João Barbosa Rodrigues João Barbosa Rodrigues (June 22, 1842 – March 6, 1909) was considered one of Brazil's greatest botanists, known especially for his work on orchids and palms. For nearly two decades he was director of the Botanic Garden of Rio de Janeiro. Somet ...
(''C. pulposa'' was described in the same work, but O comes before P in the alphabet, so ''C. odorata'' has priority).
Odoardo Beccari Odoardo Beccari (16 November 1843 – 25 October 1920) was an Italian botanist famous for his discoveries in Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia. He has been called the greatest botanist to ever study Malesia. Life Youth and education (18 ...
subsumed this taxon as a variety under ''B. capitata'' in 1916 (as ''B. capitata'' var. ''odorata'') along with a number of other taxa such as ''Cocos pulposa'', ''C. elegantissima'', ''C. erythrospatha'' and ''C. lilaceiflora'', which he all made different varieties of ''B. capitata''. He also named two new taxa as varieties of ''B. capitata'': ''B. capitata'' var. ''subglobosa'' and ''B. capitata'' var. ''virescens''. In 1936
Liberty Hyde Bailey Liberty Hyde Bailey (March 15, 1858 – December 25, 1954) was an American Horticulture, horticulturist and reformer of rural life. He was cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey ...
added two more varieties, ''B. capitata'' var. ''nehrlingiana'' and ''B. capitata'' var. ''strictior''. J. R. Mattos added yet another in 1977, ''B. capitata'' var. ''rubra'', ''B. capitata'' thus having eleven different varieties at the time (see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...
). All except the nominate form are now considered synonyms of ''B. odorata''. In 1970 Sidney Fredrick Glassman moved this taxon (as ''B. capitata''), along with all other ''Butia'', to '' Syagrus'', but in 1979 he changed his mind and moved everything back.


Description


Description


Habit

This is a solitary-trunked palm with a stout erect to slightly inclined trunk, occasionally being
subterranean Subterranean(s) or The Subterranean(s) may refer to: * Subterranea (geography), underground structures, both natural and man-made Literature * ''Subterranean'' (novel), a 1998 novel by James Rollins * ''Subterranean Magazine'', an American fa ...
, growing up to 2 to 10m high and 0.32 to 0.6m in diameter. The trunks narrow to 20 cm diameter towards the crown.


Leaves

It has 13 to 32
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 ...
,
glaucous ''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), ...
to dark-green coloured leaves arching down towards the trunk and arranged spirally around the crown. The petiole is 30–75 cm long, 1-1.2 cm thick, 3.3-3.9 cm wide, and has both stiff rigid fibres and spines up to 5 cm long along the margins (edges) of the petiole. The top of the petiole is flat or slightly convex, the underside is rounded. The rachis of the leaf is 70–200 cm long and has 35 to 60, exceptionally 66, pairs of pinnae (leaflets). Unlike other species of ''Butia'' (except ''B. catariensis''), these are inserted in groups of 2 to 4 at slightly divergent angles along the rachis, but without giving the leaf a plumose aspect such as in ''Syagrus''. The pinnae are clustered slightly together near the base of the leaf blade. These pinnae are opposite each other in a pair; each pair forms a neat 'V'-shape. The pinnae in the middle of the leaf blade are 31–60 cm long and 1.2-2.5 cm wide. Basal pinnae are 30–40 cm long and 0.3-0.6 cm wide; apical pinnae are 18–22 cm long and 0.4-0.5 cm wide.


Flowers

The developing inflorescence is protected in a woody spathe, 60–180 cm in total length, which is usually hairless but may rarely be densely
pruinose Pruinescence , or pruinosity, is a "frosted" or dusty-looking coating on top of a surface. It may also be called a pruina (plural: ''pruinae''), from the Latin word for hoarfrost. The adjectival form is pruinose . Entomology In insects, a "bloom" ...
(covered in waxy flakes) or tomentose (furry); the spathe has a swollen part at the end 33–150 cm long and 6–16 cm wide, and ends in a sharp apex (tip). The inflorescence is branched to the first order. The rachis of the inflorescence is 20–104 cm long and has 35-141 rachillae (flowering branches) 15–132 cm in length. The flowers may be coloured yellow, reddish-orange, purple, yellow & purple, or greenish-yellow. The pistillate (female) flowers are 5-6mm in length; the staminate (male) flowers are 5-7mm in length. Like all species of ''Butia'' studied, this species has relatively larger pollen grains than that of other genera of palm present in
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...
, Brazil. These grains are bilaterally symmetrical, suboblate, monosulcate, and with the end piriform (pear-shaped). The surface is covered in minute 2μm-large reticulate patterns.


Fruit

The fruit are usually wider than they are long. They are very variable in size; most fruit are 2-3.5 cm by 1.4-4.3 cm. The ripe fruit have a persistent
perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...
and may be coloured yellow, orange, red, greenish-yellow or purple. The flesh is often yellow but may also be coloured in different hues. The taste is variable, generally sweet and sour, but may be more of one or the other depending on the tree. The fruits are highly aromatic. It has a hard nut which is usually round in shape, sometimes more ovoid, 1.3-2.2 cm by 1.3–2 cm in size, and containing 1 to 3 seeds and a homogeneous
endosperm The endosperm is a tissue produced inside the seeds of most of the flowering plants following double fertilization. It is triploid (meaning three chromosome sets per nucleus) in most species, which may be auxin-driven. It surrounds the Embryo#Pla ...
.


Similar species

It is similar to '' B. capitata'', a smaller plant of the inland
cerrado The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
with a less thick trunk and which is not hardy. It has much more elongated, less globose, fruit, and can also be distinguished by tiny details of the leaves.


Infraspecific variability

These palms exhibit much variability in both their native homeland as well as in cultivated specimens. Many of these variable forms were originally described as distinct species.
Odoardo Beccari Odoardo Beccari (16 November 1843 – 25 October 1920) was an Italian botanist famous for his discoveries in Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia. He has been called the greatest botanist to ever study Malesia. Life Youth and education (18 ...
subsumed these as varieties of ''Butia capitata'' in 1916. Modern botany would consider these variations to be
cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
s or
landrace A landrace is a Domestication, domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural Environment (biophysical), environment of agric ...
s. *''B. capitata'' var. ''odorata''
891 Year 891 ( DCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 21 – Guy III, duke of Spoleto, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Stephen V. His son Lambert is proclaimed ...
- nominate form, yellow fruit. *''B. capitata'' var. ''elegantissima'', ''C. elegantissima''
906 __NOTOC__ Year 906 ( CMVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 27 – Battle of Fritzlar: The Conradines defeat the Babenberg counts, to establish themselves as duke ...
*''B. capitata'' var. ''erythrospatha'', ''C. erythrospatha''
906 __NOTOC__ Year 906 ( CMVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 27 – Battle of Fritzlar: The Conradines defeat the Babenberg counts, to establish themselves as duke ...
- red-coloured spathes *''B. capitata'' var. ''lilaceiflora'', ''C. lilaceiflora''
906 __NOTOC__ Year 906 ( CMVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 27 – Battle of Fritzlar: The Conradines defeat the Babenberg counts, to establish themselves as duke ...
*''B. capitata'' var. ''nehrlingiana''
936 Year 936 ( CMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * June 19 – At Laon, Louis IV, the 14-year old son of the late King Charles the Simple, is crowned King of West Francia afte ...
*''B. capitata'' var. ''pulposa''
891 Year 891 ( DCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 21 – Guy III, duke of Spoleto, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Stephen V. His son Lambert is proclaimed ...
- much larger fruit (see illustration), often in local cultivation in Brazil and Uruguay. *''B. capitata'' var. ''rubra''
977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman manage to escape from captivity in Const ...
- red fruit, described from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, but forms with this colour fruit also occur in Uruguay. *''B. capitata'' var. ''strictior''
936 Year 936 ( CMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * June 19 – At Laon, Louis IV, the 14-year old son of the late King Charles the Simple, is crowned King of West Francia afte ...
- cultivated in USA, leaves lacking typical arch except at the very end of the leaf, thus standing almost vertical from the crown. *''B. capitata'' var. ''subglobosa''
916 __NOTOC__ Year 916 ( CMXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Sicilian Berbers in Agrigento revolt and depose the independent Emir Ahmed ibn Khorob. They offer Sicily to the Fatimid C ...
*''B. capitata'' var. ''virescens''
916 __NOTOC__ Year 916 ( CMXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Sicilian Berbers in Agrigento revolt and depose the independent Emir Ahmed ibn Khorob. They offer Sicily to the Fatimid C ...
*glaucous blue leaves described by Soares & Witeck
009 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight ...
Difference in seed shape from northern vs. southern populations.


Hybrids

'' ×Butyagrus nabonnandii'' (Prosch.) Vorster (Mule palm) - This is a hybrid of ''Butia odorata'' with ''
Syagrus romanzoffiana ''Syagrus romanzoffiana'', the queen palm, cocos palm or Jerivá, is a palm native to South America, introduced throughout the world as a popular ornamental garden tree. ''S. romanzoffiana'' is a medium-sized palm, quickly reaching maturity at ...
'' found both naturally in the wild as well as in cultivation, it was first described from garden examples in Europe.


Distribution

It is native to southern
Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...
in
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, from the municipalities of Palmares do Sul and
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...
south to
Treinta y Tres Treinta y Tres () is the capital city of the Treinta y Tres Department in eastern Uruguay. It is known for its role in the development of folk music. History Its name means "Thirty Three" and refers to the 19th-century national heroes, the Thirty ...
and
Rocha Department Rocha () is a Departments of Uruguay, department in the east of Uruguay. Its capital is the city of Rocha, Uruguay, Rocha. It borders Maldonado Department to its west, Lavalleja Department to its northwest, Treinta y Tres Department to its north, ...
in northern
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. Bauermann ''et al.'' investigated the possibility of using palm pollen, including this species, in
palynology Palynology is the study of microorganisms and microscopic fragments of mega-organisms that are composed of acid-resistant organic material and occur in sediments, sedimentary rocks, and even some metasedimentary rocks. Palynomorphs are the mic ...
, in order to try to provide more detail about the ancient changes in habitat in the state Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil by tracking the changes in distribution and abundance of the palms, but were unable to provide much detail on the subject.


Habitat

It is distributed in a band along the coast of southernmost Brazil, extending into Uruguay. In this region it is found in
restinga Restingas () are a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest in eastern Brazil. They form on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, and are characterized by medium-sized trees and shrubs adapted to the drier and n ...
habitat in fields on top of the hills hugging the coast. It may also occur in grasslands (''pampa''), seasonally semi-
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
Atlantic forest, and rocky outcrops. It grows in sandy and rocky soils which are often dry, such as stabilised dune formations. It does not occur in more humid habitats. It commonly is found growing in small aggregated clusters; these palm groves are known locally as ''butiazais'' or ''butiatubas''. It grows from 0-500m in altitude.


Non-native distribution

Despite being extensively planted in several areas across southern Europe, the United States, and elsewhere, this species is rarely recorded as escaping from gardens or naturalising. In 2000 in Flora of North America Scott Zona stated that ''B. odorata'' showed little inclination for escaping cultivation, but as of 2018 the USDA PLANTS database has it as naturalized in the states of
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...
and
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
of the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In 1996 the unpublished Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia, used as the reference in the PLANTS database, stated the species (as ''B. capitata'') to be present in coastal North and South Carolina. In 2004, 2005 & 2008 the same flora, expanded to Georgia by 2004 and northern Florida in 2008, stated that this palm (as ''B. capitata'') is not naturalised in the region, but that it is widely planted along the coastal strip of southeastern North Carolina, eastern South Carolina, eastern Georgia and northern Florida, and that these garden plants often persist despite neglect and can appear naturalised in superficially semi-natural locations. In 2018 the first instance of this palm (now identified as ''B. odorata'') naturalising in this region was published, based on specimen vouchers collected in 2007 from young plants some distance from human habitation in Camden Co., in the far southeast corner of Georgia. By at least 2009 an anonymous source considered this palm naturalised in Florida and it was included in the USDA PLANTS database. In 2010 this opinion was validated when the first instance of a naturalised palm was published, recording a 2005 collection of a specimen in the dunes of the Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area in Hernando Co., a former farm and estate with some plantings of ''Butia'' palms. Another instance of this palm naturalising was recorded in literature (no voucher) in 2013 in Silver River State Park, Marion Co. As of 2018, the Atlas of Florida Plants shows voucher specimens (identified as ''B. capitata'' (with a caveat)) have been collected in the central and northern counties of Hernando, Volusia, Washington, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon and Wakulla.


Ecology

''Butia odorata'' frequently serves as a host for the
epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...
fig species ''
Ficus cestrifolia ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending int ...
'' (locals sometimes believe that fruit from these trees is much more sweet). It is also host to two lichens: ''
Cladonia ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichenized fungi in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or th ...
ahtii'' and ''C. palmicola''. ''C. palmicola'' was first collected in 1989, described in 1995, and as of 2012 has only been found on the trunks of ''Butia'' trees growing along the coast from
Santa Catarina State Santa Catarina () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It is located in the centre of the country's Southern region. It is bordered to the north by the state of Paraná, to the south by the state of Rio Grande do Sul, to the east by t ...
to Uruguay. Butterfly caterpillars recorded feeding in Uruguay in 1974 on this palm (''B. odorata'' identified as ''Syagrus capitata'' in this study) are ''Blepolenis batea'' and ''Opsiphanes invirae'', either the nominate form or possibly subspecies ''remoliatus''. The caterpillars of the Indonesian butterfly ''Cephrenes augiades augiades'' and the Australian ''C. trichopepla'' may also feed on the leaves this palm.


Uses


In prehistory

Around 4750 BC, as the climate started to dry out for a prolonged period, an agricultural civilisation began to develop in the extensive wetlands around Merín Lagoon in Rocha department, Uruguay, as evidenced today by thousands of
mounds A mound is an artificial heap or pile, especially of earth, rocks, or sand. Mound and Mounds may also refer to: Places * Mound, Louisiana, United States * Mound, Minnesota, United States * Mound, Texas, United States * Mound, West Virginia * Moun ...
, known as ''cerritos'', strewn over the landscape. These peoples lived in sedentary villages that accumulated household refuse such as broken tools, stone flakes, shells, pieces of charcoal or bone, other remains of foods, and pottery sherds and graves in a later archaeological stage, eventually forming mounds, which during a later stage were expressly enlarged and heightened with such materials as burnt termite mounds and gravel. These people survived on a diet based on some hunting and fishing along with the cultivation of maize and gourds, and later beans, and collection of tuberous marsh plants such as ''
Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrushStreeter D, Hart-Davies C, Hardcastle A, Cole F, Harper L. 2009. ' ...
'', '' Canna'', '' Marantha'' and
Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...
. Nuts and
phytolith Phytoliths (from Greek language, Greek, "plant stone") are rigid, microscopic mineral deposits found in some plant tissues, often persisting after the decay of the plant. Although some use "phytolith" to refer to all mineral secretions by plants, ...
s of ''Butia odorata'' are abundant here in association with the traces of human occupancy from even before the first evidence of the adoption of agriculture throughout many millennia of the mound-builder villages, thus indicating that the fruit and fronds were used, but it is unclear if the nearby palm groves were wild, cultivated or encouraged to spread (either by design or not). Around approximately AD 0 a new people moved into the north of this region from the Amazon, the ancestors of the Tupi-Guaraní peoples, who initially settled in the dense woodland along the margins of the larger rivers, where they practised
slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody p ...
agriculture using crops such as cassava, peanuts, gourds, beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes. These peoples lived in sedentary to semi-permanent villages of numerous family
longhouses A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from timber and often re ...
arranged in circles around the centre, and had a culture including managing fallow lands for further agricultural production, wearing lip discs, ritual anthropophagic feasts with
fermented beverage This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, Fermentation in food processing, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to ethanol, alcohol using yeas ...
s, long distance trade using roads, exclusive use of bark for fuel in pottery kilns and funerary hearths, and cremation with the remains buried in urns in the village centre. Nuts of ''B. odorata'' have been found in the remains of such a village dating from 1460–1800 AD.


As an ornamental

''B. odorata'' is frequently grown in Mediterranean Europe, the southern USA, Australia and southern Brazil as an ornamental garden plant. It is notable as one of the hardiest feather palms, sometimes tolerating brief drops in temperature down to about −10 °C at night; it is often cultivated in subtropical climates. In Europe, this palm can be found close to the Mediterranean, though some specimens are cultivated as far north as southern U.K. In the United States, ''B. odorata'' is grown along the West Coast from
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to
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, and along the East Coast from
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
to
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. In climates in the far north, such as the coastal areas of
the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
it is advised to plant the palms in full sunlight. Larger specimens are said to take -10 to -12 °C, but should be protected at -5 °C, for example by wrapping heating strips around the trunk. It should be protected from excess rain during the winter, for example with a small, open tent. The substrate should be very porous so that water drains away from the roots quickly. In the summer this palm demands lots of water and should be watered regularly. It is possible to harvest fruit in as far north as the Netherlands.


As food

It is cultivated as a fruit tree in Brazil and Uruguay, and especially the larger-fruited, semi-domesticated, ''pulposa''-type plants are reasonably common in local orchards. In the type most often grown in the USA, the ripe fruit are about the size of large cherry, and yellowish/orange in colour, but can also include a blush towards the tip. The taste is a mixture of
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
,
apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...
, and
vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). ''Vanilla'' is not Autogamy, autogamous, so pollination ...
. Taste can vary depending on soil conditions, and the tastes of
apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
,
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
, and
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...
together is also common. It is tart and sweet at the same time, with a flesh similar to a
loquat The loquat (''Eriobotrya japonica'', Chinese: 枇杷; Pinyin: pípá) is a large evergreen shrub or tree grown commercially for its orange fruit. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. The loquat is in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Spi ...
, but slightly more fibrous.


Chemistry

The triterpenes cylindrin and
lupeol Lupeol is a pharmacologically active pentacyclic triterpenoid. It has several potential medicinal properties, like anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity. Natural occurrences Lupeol is found in a variety of plants, including mango, '' Acaci ...
methyl ether can be isolated from ''Butia odorata'' leaf epicuticular waxes.


Conservation

Noblick in 1996 notes that the population he visited growing in a cattle pasture that had once been
restinga Restingas () are a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest in eastern Brazil. They form on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, and are characterized by medium-sized trees and shrubs adapted to the drier and n ...
was unhealthy as there was no recruitment (growth of new individuals). Rejuvenation of the population was hindered by fires and cattle grazing. Noblick also notes that much of its former habitat was being converted to rice fields. As of 2018 the conservation status has not been evaluated by the
Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora Centro may refer to: Places Brazil *Centro, Santa Maria, a neighborhood in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro, Porto Alegre, a neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro (Duque de Caxias), a neighborhood of Du ...
in Brazil. As of 2017, like all four species of ''Butia'' native to Uruguay, it is protected by law. Adult palms may not be felled or moved without government permission.


Gallery

File:ButiaFlorida.jpg, Butia Capitata in Englewood Florida. File:Ripe fruit of Butia capitata on the vine.jpg, Ripe fruit of ''Butia odorata'' palm growing in Ocean Isle Beach. File:Butia capitata palm bearing both ripe and unripe fruit.jpg, ''Butia odorata'' palm growing in Ocean Isle Beach, bearing both ripe and unripe fruit. File:Healthy Butia Capitata in Buxton North Carolina. .jpg, Butia Capitata in Buxton North Carolina. File:Butia, fruta.JPG, Fruit collected from a tree in Sertão Santana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. File:Butia capitata 1.jpg, A grove near Laguna Negra, Palmares de Castillos,
Rocha Department Rocha () is a Departments of Uruguay, department in the east of Uruguay. Its capital is the city of Rocha, Uruguay, Rocha. It borders Maldonado Department to its west, Lavalleja Department to its northwest, Treinta y Tres Department to its north, ...
, Uruguay. File:Palmar de tiburcio - panoramio.jpg, A thick grove of old trees at Palmar de tiburcio, Camino del Indio, Rocha, Uruguay. file:ButiaPhxAZ.jpg, Butia Capitata in Phoenix Arizona.


References


External links

*http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/butcapa.pdf {{Taxonbar, from=Q16539451 Trees of Brazil odorata Trees of Uruguay Ornamental trees