Diskussion:Steinnusspalmen

Die harte Struktur

Was ist denn nun das harte an der Steinnuss? Ist die Frucht tatsächlich eine Nuss im botanischen Sinn? dann müsste es ja das gesamte Perikarp oder nur die Testa oder (was mir am wahrscheinlichsten erscheint) das Endosperm und nicht das Endokarp sein. Aus dem Strasburger S. 776: „Demnach sind das Endosperm oder andere Speichergewebe eher mehlig wie bei Gräsern, fettig wie bei Cocos, oder hornartig bis steinig bei manchen Palmen (z.B. Phytelephas: ‚vegetabilisches Elfenbein‘)“ --boronian 15:42, 22. Mär. 2008 (CET)

Beschreibung in der Flora of Peru S. 325 - 327

FLORA OF PERU 325 Full text of J. FRANCIS MACBRIDE: Flora of Peru. (engl.)

1. PHYTELEPHAS R. & P.

Elephantusia Willd. Sp. PL 4, pt. 2: 175b. 1805. Yarina Cook, Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci. 17: 223. 1927. Polandra Cook, I.e. 228.

Reference: Cook, Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci. 17: 218-230. 1927.

Smooth, with erect or inclined and rooting, moderately to very stout trunks, the species in Peru low but with many or few tall (elon- gate) terminal pinnate leaves. Flowers large, dioecious, the basal (Peru) spadices and peduncles squamate, the male rather amenta- ceous, more or less pendulous, simple, more or less scurvy, elongate, the female capitate, compact, erect. Stamens many, clustered, an- thers basifixed. Sepals 3, imbricate, as the 5-10 rather fleshy narrow acuminate petals. Staminodia many; ovary 4-9-sulcate, -celled, each cell with a single erect ovule, style terminal, stigma long-filiform. Fruits more or less pressed together forming a large or small syn- carp, 1-celled, more or less succulent or lignescent, shortly broadly and acutely tubercled, the hard nutlets loosely fibrous, embryo sunken near hilum in plane ivory-like albumen. The several segregate gen- era proposed by Cook have doubtful merit unless the diagnostic characters are accepted also in several other genera as defining sep- arate groups. Many illustrations are available, but some at least scarcely refer to the two original species unless, as possible, the sev- eral others proposed, as Panama species, are the same or merely vari- ants; consequently, only one or two drawings and a photograph are listed which represent at least the genus as it occurs in Peru. It stands apart in the family on account of the 4-9 united carpels, usually maturing several large long seeds.

Vegetable ivory is supplied by the fruits of this extraordinary palm, described well by the authors: Early the fruits are filled with a liquid as clear as water, in place of which it is sometimes used; after some days it turns milky and acid; later it changes into a sweet and pleasant emulsion and successively acquires greater consistency, solid- ity and weight until it becomes as hard as ivory; small objects, as buttons, may be turned in a lathe with more ease than ivory ones because it is neither splintery nor fibrous; furthermore, it remains white for many years. The leaves are commonly used for thatch.

326 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY BOTANY, VOL. XIII

Besides the following, two or three species have been illustrated under other names without diagnosis.

Trunks as petioles none or short, stout; leaf segments approximate, opposite; fruit lignescent P. macrocarpa.

Trunks as petioles more or less developed; leaf segments distant; fruit succulent P. microcarpa.

Phytelephas macrocarpa R. & P. Syst. Veg. 301. 1798; 224.

Trunk none or short and inclined; leaves equally pinnate, crowded, the rachis basally incrassate, sessile or nearly, segments about 100 pairs, mostly exactly opposite, basally reduplicate, linear-lanceolate, attenuate, the medial about 12 dm. long, 3.5 cm. wide, the upper scarcely 8 dm. long; spadices axillary, male ascending, fleshy, spici- form, 10 dm. long or slightly longer, peduncle compressed, 2.5 dm. long, 1.5 cm. thick, rachis nearly 8 dm. long, flowers sessile or sub- sessile, a cluster of many (150-280) stamens, filaments 7 mm. long, anthers 4 mm. long; spathes 2, glabrate, the outer nearly 2 dm. long, the inner 1 dm. long, 5 cm. across, linear-fusiform; peduncle and female spadix longer than male, the 12-20 sessile clusters apically compressed in an apical oval receptacle; bracteolate ovaries many, coalescent, the few central ones fertile, style filiform, 5 cm. long, stig- mas 5 or 6, 5 cm. long; fruits in a globose mass (12-20) 2.5 dm. in diameter or longer, the mature by mutual pressure 4-6-angulate- obpyramidate, apically muricate-tubercled, nutlets about 4 cm. long, 2.5 cm. broad, perianth fragile. After Spruce, Journ. Linn. Soc. 11: 179. 1871, who described P. aequitorialis of Ecuador (Polandra Cook), trunk 5 meters or taller, leaves unequally pinnate, the segments aggregate, male capitula stalked or racemed on a pendulous spadix, each capitulum with a thousand or more stamens; may occur in adjacent Peru. Illustrated, Huber, Bull. Herb. Boiss. se"r. 2, 6: pi. 11.

San Martin: Vitoc, (Ruiz & Pawn). Tarapoto, (Spruce). Hua- nuco: Chanchamayo, San Antonio de Playa, Macora, (Ruiz & Pawn, type). Loreto: Headwaters of Rio Purus, (Chandless) . Rio Acre: Toward origin, (Huber}. "Pulu-puntu," "polo-ponto," "humiro."

Phytelephas microcarpa R. & P. Syst. Veg. 302. 1798. Yarina microcarpa (R. & P.) Cook, Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci. 17: 223. 1927.

Fruiting sometimes with no stem at all, finally with inclined stem about 1 dm. thick, spirally areolate with the deep leaf-scars; petiole elongate, leaf segments equal (Spruce), slender, with 6-7 leaves, seg- ments widely spaced, spreading, retrorse below, the lower much

FLORA OF PERU 327

shorter, the petioles perhaps 3-6 dm. long (Cook). The thick muri- cated rind of the fruit is reddish within, tough but may be eaten, flavor of melon or milky cheese; the albumen is drunk while still watery, eaten when fleshy, suggesting immature coconut, when ma- ture ivory-like (Spruce). Otherwise apparently unknown. Illus- trated, Pflanzenfam. 2, Abt. 3: 87 (flowers, fruits, at least in part); 88 (plant).

Hudnuco: Pozuzo, Pampa Hermosa, (Ruiz & Pavdn, type). Loreto: Near mouth of Rio Napo, (Spruce). Rio Pastaza, (Spruce). Ecuador? "Yarina," "rullipunta," "anon de palma."

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