Bactris

Peach palm ( Bactris gasipaes )

Bactris (from Greek baktron = rod, prop ) is a genus of the palm family ( Arecaceae ).

Features

The Bactris species are small to medium sized palm trees. Often several strains grow from one point. The leaves are pinnate or completely. The inflorescences always have male and female flowers.

The most striking feature are the spikes that sit on leaf sheaths, petiole and rachis. A few species are nearly unarmed.

Dissemination

The genus is widespread in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Species

The genus includes depending on the author up to 240 species. Some of the species in three genera Bactris, Guilielma and Pyrenoglyphis is divided. Bactris is further subdivided:

• Genus Bactris Subgenus Bactris ( Eubactris ) Section Bactris ( Acnophyllum )
• Section Aiphanoides

• Section Amylocarpus ( Euamylocarpus )
• Section Piranga

The four sections are indicated at the above two species as a groups.

A few examples:

• Pajuapalme ( Bactris cubensis )
• Peach palm ( Bactris gasipaes ) - Is mainly cultivated in South America for economic reasons.
• Gold palm ( Bactris glandulosa ) - Multi-stemmed, small, bushy tree with pinnate leaves little thorny and green berries.
• Bactris glaucescens - A small, bushy -growing, spiny palm.
• Bactris jamaicensis - A horst bildene palm from Jamaica.
• Bactris major - Up to 8 meters high, horst bildene Art
• Bactris pilosa - Is a spur driving, fast growing rainforest style.

Documents

• Bactris on the Fairchild Guide to Palms page.