Syagrus

Stems solitary, erect, robust, unarmed, bearing conspicuous nodal rings. Leaves: petiole unarmed; sheath not forming crownshaft; blade pinnate, unarmed; plication reduplicate; segments regularly arranged in multiple planes, apices acute to 2-cleft. Inflorescences axillary within crown of leaves, paniculate, 1 order of branching, ascending, becoming pendulous in fruit; prophyll short; peduncular bract woody, beaked, splitting abaxially, becoming boat-shaped. Flowers unisexual, sessile, borne in triads of 1 pistillate flower flanked by 2 staminate, staminate flowers borne singly along distal portions of rachillae. Staminate flowers: sepals 3, connate; petals 3, free, valvate, leathery; stamens 6, free; anthers linear; pistillode with 3 minute lobes. Pistillate flowers borne basally on rachillae, massive; sepals 3, imbricate, free; petals 3, imbricate, free; staminode a low annular ring at base of pistil; pistil 1, large; ovules 1; style indistinct; stigmas 3. Fruits drupes, ovoid, less than 4 cm diam.; exocarp orange, thin, smooth; mesocarp fleshy, oily; endocarp thick, bony, irregularly folded into seed, with 3 basal germination pores. Seeds irregular with hollow cavity; endosperm homogeneous; embryo basal; eophyll undivided, lanceolate.

Distribution

North America, West Indies (Lesser Antilles), South America.

Discussion

Species 32 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Syagrus romanzoffiana