Butia lallemantii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Butia lallemantii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Butia |
| Species: | B. lallemantii |
| Binomial name | |
| Butia lallemantii Deble & Marchiori [2006] | |
Butia lallemantii is a species of palm described in 2006. Unlike more familiar Butia species, this is a clustering, acaulescent species lacking an above-ground trunk. It was the third of such species of Butia described. It is caespitose; branching underground with normally 3-6 branches.[1] It grows to 60–160 cm tall, with 5-12 leaves with 24-40 leaflets a side.[2] The fruit are edible,[3] ovate-lanceolate, yellow-orange, 2.5-3.5 x 1.6-2.5 cm, with a reddish apex.[1]
The species epithet was chosen in honour of the German naturalist, doctor and explorer Robert Christian Avé-Lallemant, who mentioned these palms in his writings about his travels in 1858.[1] It is locally known as butiá-anão or butiazeiro-anão in Rio Grande do Sul,[1] also butia-zinho in Brazil,[3] and palmera butiacito in Uruguay.
Distribution
It is found somewhat widespread in an area of southeast Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil[1] and in a fragmented cluster of 8 small subpopulations totalling some 300 plants in a part of Rivera Department in northern Uruguay.[4]
Habitat
The habitat of this species is typically sandy grasslands (campos arenosos),[1] with red soil,[3] where it can locally be the dominant large plant.[5] It is also found growing in moist red sandy grasslands,[5] on low sandstone slopes and ledges, in open fields and pine forests in Uruguay,[4] as well as dry rocky fields in Brazil.[5] It flowers spring-summer, fruiting summer-autumn.
Taxonomy
This population of Butia palms has been known for a long time (Avé-Lallemant mentioned them in his writings in 1858), but most researchers considered them to be stunted B. paraguayensis (fide Mattos [1977], Marchiori et al. [1995], Marchiori [2004]) until they were described as a new species by Deble and Marchiori in 2006.[1] Nonetheless, an Uruguayan study from 2011 found that it proved to be impossible to differentiate B. lallemantii and B. paraguayensis from each other genetically.[4] Likewise, in their Flora del Arbórea Uruguay of 2007, Brussa & Grela continued to consider it an ecotype.[4]
Similar species
Other similar palm species growing in the area are B. paraguayensis and B. yatay, although these are larger to much larger, single-stemmed palms when mature. The fruits of these trees are different; more oval. B. yatay has almost double the number of pairs of leaflets.[1] The seeds are much rounder than B. paraguayensis with the eyes situated towards one end.[3] The pollen can also be differentiated from these two species; being very similar, but somewhat smaller.[6] B. campicola from Paraguay, being acaulescent, is also similar, although it does not occur near this species. It is much less caespitose, smaller in stature, and with greenish-purple fruits.[1]
A natural hybrid of this species with Syagrus romanzoffiana has been recorded in the wild in Uruguay (Brussa & Grela 2007).[4][5]
