genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
Arecaceae
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...
(palms), native to
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, with one species
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
Palms in this genus usually have solitary stems; clustered stems are less common, and a few are
stolon
In biology, stolons (from Latin '' stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as runners, are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external s ...
-like subterranean. The stems are normally spineless, but some species have spiny leaf sheaths or spines. Those species that have upright trunks grow tall with stems that are in diameter.
The leaves of all but one species, '' S. smithii'', are pinnately compound. Leaf sheaths are split along their entire length, and consequently, crownshafts are not present in this genus. The transition from the leaf sheath to the petiole can be gradual and difficult to identify, but in species where they can be distinguished, leaf sheaths are long and the petioles are .
The
inflorescences
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
are unbranched or branch once; a single hybrid, ''S''. × ''lacerdamourae'', occasionally shows second-order branching, and emerge from between the leaves. They are
monoecious
Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy.
Monoecy is conne ...
, with both male and female flowers borne in the same inflorescence. The fruit are drupes, which vary in colour from green to orange to brown. They range in size from in length, and in diameter.
Taxonomy
''Syagrus'' has been placed in the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Arecoideae
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...
, the
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...
Cocoseae
Cocoseae is a tribe of cocosoid palms of the family Arecaceae.
Description
The fruit of the Cocoseae is a modified drupe, with a sclerenchymatous epicarp and a highly developed mesocarp, formed mainly by parenchyma . The endocarp is generally sc ...
and the subtribe Attaleinae, together with the genera ''
Allagoptera
''Allagoptera'' is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America consisting of 5 accepted species. Compared to other genera within the Cocoseae ''Allagoptera'' is described as particularly specialized.Uhl, Natal ...
Beccariophoenix
''Beccariophoenix'' is a genus of three species of Arecaceae (palms), native to Madagascar. The genus is closely related to the '' Cocos'', or coconut genus, and notably '' Beccariophoenix alfredii'' is similar in appearance to the coconut palm. ...
'', ''
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. ...
Jubaea
''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...
Parajubaea
''Parajubaea'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae.
They are native to the northern Andes mountains in northwestern South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Sout ...
''Syagrus'' is an almost entirely South American genus. The only non-South American species, '' S. amara'', is endemic to five islands in the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
. The genus is found from sea level to elevations of above sea level.
Ecology
''S. coronata'' nuts are the favored food of
Lear's macaw
Lear's macaw (''Anodorhynchus leari''), also known as the indigo macaw, is a large all-blue Brazilian parrot, a member of a large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It was first described by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1856. Lear's mac ...
, whose bill size and shape are particularly adapted to crack them.
''Syagrus'' species are used as food plants by the
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e of some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species including ''
Batrachedra nuciferae
''Batrachedra nuciferae'' is a moth in the family Batrachedridae. It is found in Brazil. The larvae have been recorded feeding on '' Attalea'', ''Cocos nucifera
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (A ...
'' (recorded on ''S. coronae'') and ''
Paysandisia archon
''Paysandisia archon'' is a moth of the family Castniidae. It is native to Uruguay and central Argentina and has been accidentally introduced to Europe, where it is spreading rapidly. It is considered the only member of the genus ''Paysandisia''. ...
Syagrus comosa Syagrus may refer to:
* Syagrus (legendary poet), a legendary Greek oral poet
*Syagrus (plant)
''Syagrus'' is a genus of Arecaceae (palms), native to South America, with one species endemic to the Lesser Antilles. The genus is closely related ...
'' (Mart.) Mart.
* ''
Syagrus coronata
''Syagrus coronata'', commonly known as the ouricury palm, aricuri palm, or licuri palm, is a species of palm tree that is native to eastern Brazil, ranging from the southern part of the state of Pernambuco, into the state of Bahia, south to the ...
Syagrus minor Syagrus may refer to:
* Syagrus (legendary poet), a legendary Greek oral poet
* Syagrus (plant), a genus of palm trees
* Syagrus (beetle), a genus of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, the leaf beetles
{{disambig ...
Syagrus romanzoffiana
''Syagrus romanzoffiana'', the queen palm or cocos palm, 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 a height o ...
Syagrus vagans Syagrus may refer to:
* Syagrus (legendary poet), a legendary Greek oral poet
* Syagrus (plant), a genus of palm trees
* Syagrus (beetle), a genus of beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, the leaf beetles
{{disambig ...
Syagrus yungasensis Syagrus may refer to:
*Syagrus (legendary poet), a legendary Greek oral poet
*Syagrus (plant)
''Syagrus'' is a genus of Arecaceae (palms), native to South America, with one species endemic to the Lesser Antilles. The genus is closely relat ...
Butia campicola
''Butia campicola'' is a very small species of ''Butia'' palm with an underground trunk; native to the cerrados of central Paraguay and south-central Brazil.
Etymology & common names
The species epithet ''campicola'' is derived from its prefe ...
Butia capitata
''Butia capitata'', also known as jelly palm, is a ''Butia'' palm native to the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás in Brazil. It is known locally as ''coquinho-azedo'' or ''butiá'' in (northern) Minas Gerais.Fruits of Butia capitata (Mart.) Becc ...
Butia eriospatha
''Butia eriospatha'' is a small species of ''Butia'' palm endemic to the highlands of southern Brazil. It is very similar to ''B. odorata'', but is easily distinguished from this species by the distinct spathes which are densely covered in rust- ...
Butia yatay
''Butia yatay'', the jelly palm or yatay palm, is a ''Butia'' palm native to southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina. It is known as the ''butiá-jataí'' in Portuguese in the south of Brazil, as well as simply ''jataí'' or ''butiá''. I ...
Lytocaryum weddellianum
''Syagrus weddelliana'', also known as the miniature coconut palm or Weddell's palm, is a feather palm in the palm family. Description
The palm has a small stature, only growing to a height of . In rare cases, this palm can grow to , with a tr ...
'' (H.Wendl.) Toledo (as ''S. insignis'' (hort. ex Drude) Becc. and ''S. weddelliana'' (H.Wendl.) Becc.)
References
* Jones, D. L. (2000). ''Palms in Australia''. Reed Books.