Brahea

Brahea edulis

Brahea is an American palm genus.

• 5.1 Notes and references

Features

The representatives are usually solitary growing, rarely clump-forming, moderately large, reinforced or unreinforced fan palms. They are hermaphroditic and repeatedly flowering. The trunk is covered with persistent leaf sheaths, and is only at the age bald.

The chromosome number is 2n = 36

The sheets are folded induplicat, costapalmat short and remain ( Marzeszenz ) after the death of the plant. The leaf sheath is fibrous, is persistent and can tear basal. The petiole is long or short, is concave at the top, flattened or grooved, rounded at the bottom. The handle edges are unarmed, or with small or large teeth reinforced, sometimes hairy flaky. The adaxial Hastula is triangular to irregular, thin, membranous, fibrous and sometimes large. The abaxial Hastula is either a narrow raised back or hardly developed.

The leaf blade is approximately circular and regularly divided to the middle or above in single folded, rigid or flexible segments. The segments are at the end of a deep two-piece ( bifid ). Filaments often are present between the pleats. The leaf surfaces are glabrous, waxy or covered with sloping, fuzzy hair. The midrib occurred before clear.

Inflorescences

The inflorescences are individually between sheets ( interfoliar ). They are approximately the same length as or longer than the leaves, branches and bent upright or quadruplicate. The peduncle is slender and short to medium in length. The cover page is zweikielig, close-fitting, Roehrig, bald and abaxial irregular tearing up. There is zero to several bracts on the inflorescence stalk. They are similar to the previous sheet, but are einkielig and bald or fuzzy hairy. The inflorescence axis is significantly longer than the peduncle. The first-order lateral axes are at greater distances and have no bracteoles. The following bracts are triangular, membranous and less conspicuous. The flower-bearing axes ( Rachillae ) are forced numerous stand. All axes and the Rachillae are densely hairy.

Flowers

The flowers are arranged spirally hermaphrodite. They are available individually or in the winding of two to three flowers. Each stands in the axil of a small high sheet. The buds are sometimes obscured until anthesis of hair. The three sepals are free imbricat and the edges are finely serrated. The three petals are fused at the base into a tube, which is as long as the calyx. On the adaxial side they are flat to furrowed deeply. The six stamens are at the throat of the crown. The filaments are fused to a sechszipfligen ring. The point are triangular and narrowing abruptly to the tips. The anthers are broadly elliptic to oblong, dorsifix, mobile and latrors. The gynoecium consists of three carpels, which are merged in the grip diaper area. The ovule is sitting basal, erect and anatrop. The pollen is ellipsoidal and slightly to strongly asymmetric. The germ is opening a distal sulcus.

Fruit and seeds

The fruit usually develops from only one carpel. It is spherical or ovoid and maturity dark blue to black. The abortive carpels are basally, the apical scars radicals. The exocarp is smooth, the mesocarp is fleshy, the endocarp is crusty.

The seed consists of basal or subbasal, and is spherical to ellipsoidal. The endosperm is homogeneous and slightly to deeply indented by a smooth invagination of the testa.

Dissemination

The genus occurs in Baja California, to Guadalupe, in many parts of Mexico and Guatemala. Their representatives grow over limestone in dry areas, mostly on slopes.

System

The genus Brahea is placed in the subfamily Coryphoideae, Tribe Trachycarpeae within the family Arecaceae. However, within the tribe can not be assigned to subtribe.

In the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the following types are recognized:

• Brahea aculeata
• Brahea armata
• Brahea brandegeei
• Brahea calcarea
• Brahea decumbens
• Brahea dulcis
• Brahea edulis
• Brahea moorei
• Brahea pimo
• Brahea salvadorensis
• Brahea sarukhanii

Brahea was first described by finite 1837 type species is Brahea dulcis ( Kunth ) Mart. ( = Pritchardia filifera Linden ex André ). The genus name honors the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Synonyms are Erythea S.Watson and Glaucotheca OF Cook.

Use

The leaves are used for thatching and processed into fibers. The fruits of some species are edible. In dry areas they are used as ornamental plants.

Documents

• John Dransfield, Natalie W. Uhl, Conny B. Asmussen, William J. Baker, Madeline M. Harley, Carl E. Lewis: Genera palmarum. The Evolution and Classification of Palms. Second edition, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2008, ISBN 978-1-84246-182-2, pp. 276-278.