Butia eriospatha

Butia eriospatha

The woolly butia palm or woolly jelly palm (Butia eriospatha (Mart. ex Drude) Becc., 1916) is an arboreal species belonging to the Arecaceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Subkingdom Tracheobionta,
Spermatophyta superdivision,
Magnoliophyta division,
Class Liliopsida,
Arecales Order,
Arecaceae family,
Subfamily Arecoideae,
Tribe Cocoseae,
Subtribe Attaleinae,
Genus Butia,
Species: B. eriospatha.
The term is basionym:
– Cocos eriospatha Mart. ex Drude.
The terms are synonyms:
– Butia punctata Bomhard;
– Calappa eriospatha (Mart. ex Drude) Kuntze;
– Cocos eriospatha Mart.;
– Syagrus eriospatha (Mart. ex Drude) Glassman.
Within this species the following subspecies are recognised:
– Butia eriospatha subsp. eriospatha;
– Butia eriospatha subsp. punctata Bomhard.

Etymology –
The term Butia derives from butiá, the Brazilian vernacular name of a palm which means thorny, toothed in reference to the thorns present on the petioles.
The specific epithet eriospatha is the combination of the Greek nouns ἔριον, i.e. wool and σπάθη, i.e. sword, with reference to the fluff that covers the bract (spathe) which encloses the inflorescence.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Butia eriospatha is a palm endemic to an area in the extreme southeast of the highlands of Brazil. Most of its population straddles the highlands in the eastern border regions of Santa Catarina/Rio Grande do Sul, surrounded by scattered subpopulations in the southeastern coastal highland portion of the states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina.
In 2008, a naturalized population was reported in an area of the northern province of Misiones, Argentina.
Its natural habitat is that of some forests where it often grows together with Araucaria angustifolia in the Tainhas State Park, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil; in this area we are in the presence of the Atlantic rainforest biome on a plateau at higher altitudes, between 700 and 1,200 m, where it is mostly found in grasslands, aggregated in palm groves that are often extensive, dense, almost monocultures, but higher up sometimes even in the open forest of Araucaria.

Description –
Butia eriospatha is a monoecious palm, with a solitary trunk, which grows up to about 6 m in height and surmounted by a crown of about 28 leaves which can be 1 – 2 meters long.
The stem reaches a diameter of 30-50 cm and is greyish in colour, wrinkled, with persistent traces of the bases of the old leaves.
The leaves are carried by an up to 1 m long petiole, provided at the margins with robust spines, are pinnate, strongly and elegantly arched, 2-2,6 m long, with rigid, linear leaflets with acute apex, regularly arranged along the rachis to form a V, about 70 cm long in the median part and 2 cm broad, of a green-grey colour.
The inflorescences are interfoliar and 0,9-1,3 m long, with first order ramifications; initially they are enclosed in an oblong-lanceolate spathe, covered by a dense light brown tomentum. The flowers are unisexual and yellow in color arranged in a triad (a female flower in the center and male ones on both sides) except in the terminal part where there are only male flowers. The male flowers ripen before the female flowers (proterandria), a system which facilitates cross-fertilization; however, these are self-compatible species in which even isolated specimens can reproduce.
Like all Butia species studied, this species has relatively larger pollen grains than those of other palm genera found in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. These grains are bilaterally symmetrical, prolato-spheroidal, mono-furrowed and with a piriform tip. The surface is covered with tiny 2 μm wide lattice patterns.
The fruits are globose drupes which when ripe become yellowish in colour; they have a diameter of 1,8-2 cm and have a woody, hard endocarp, with a diameter of 1-1,5 cm.
Inside there are 1-3 seeds.

Cultivation –
Butia eriospatha is a single-stem evergreen palm that produces fruits well known in its native range, which are harvested for local use.
This palm is also grown as an ornamental plant, being valued for its silver-green fronds.
Sadly, wild populations are declining, with little sign of regeneration.
It is a plant of moderate altitudes in the subtropical regions, found at altitudes between 700 and 1,200 metres, where it grows in areas where frosts and temperatures down to -4 °C occur, although the plant resists down to -12 °C .
Where such extreme values may occur, it is advisable to provide suitable winter protection.
It requires full sun, perfectly draining soils, acid or neutral, and regular watering in the climates characterized by long hot and dry summers, even if it is capable of withstanding drought periods.
It is a slow growing plant.
The reproduction takes place by seed to be vegetated in a draining substratum kept constantly humid at the temperature of 25-28 °C; in these conditions the germination times are at least 2-3 months.

Customs and Traditions –
Butia eriospatha is a palm known by various names, such as: woolly butia palm, woolly jelly palm (English); butiá, butiá-açu, butiá branco, butiá-da-serra, butiá verdadeiro, butiazeiro, macuna (vernacular names of Brazil).
Taxonomically, in 1970 Sidney Fredrick Glassman transferred this species, together with all the other Butias, to Syagrus, but in 1979 he changed his mind and reclassified them as before.
It is a very decorative but not very widespread palm, with rather slow growth, similar in appearance to the more commonly cultivated Butia odorata from which it differs mainly due to the dense tomentum which covers the external surface of the spathe.
The fruits have a juicy and scarcely fibrous pulp, with a particularly pleasant taste, superior to that of the other Butias; these are eaten fresh or used to prepare jams, juices and a much appreciated alcoholic beverage; moreover they are also used as food for livestock and represent an important resource for the local fauna.
The fibers of the leaves are finally used for ropes, baskets, mats, hats and other handicraft objects.
Palm products are used locally and are not widely marketed.
This palm is grown in some cases in Brazil and Argentina.
From an ecological point of view it is a palm that hosts many species. among these the butterfly caterpillars Brassolis astyra ssp. astyra and B and other fauna.
Also the caterpillars of the Indonesian butterfly Cephrenes augiades ssp. augiades can feed on the leaves of this palm.
In a long-term study, the year-round feeding behavior of the squirrel Guerlinguetus brasiliensis ssp. ingrami in the secondary forest of Araucaria angustifolia in the Recreational Park Primavera near the city of Curitiba, Paraná; of the ten plant species of which the squirrel ate the seeds or nuts, Butia eriospatha was an unusual but regular species of the diet in the spring and summer period.
Although the species is extensively cultivated, according to Noblick in 1998, wild populations are declining.
For this reason it has been classified as “vulnerable” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2009).
The causes are above all the progressive loss of its habitat, due to human pressure.
It has also been classified as en perio (endangered) by the government of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 2002 (decree nº 42.099) and in 2014 (decree nº 52.109), because it is believed that the population has been reduced by more than 50% at least in the last 100 years.
In 2012 the Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora classified the conservation status of Brazil as “vulnerable”.

Method of Preparation –
Butia eriospatha is a palm whose fruits are consumed as they are and the pulp of the fruit is used as a base for preparing drinks.
The fruits have a succulent pulp, devoid of fibres, with a pleasant, sweet-sour taste.
They are fermented to obtain an alcoholic drink. In addition, the fruits are macerated in alcohol to make a popular drink.
The palm therefore produces wine, as well as juices, jellies and jams.
The fibers were once collected from this palm and used to make mattresses. Plantations of this palm were planted in the 1950s in Brazil for this purpose.
An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
Among other uses, it should be remembered that the fibers are used to make ropes.
The leaves are used to weave hats, baskets, etc.
The wood is moderately heavy, hard, highly fibrous and of good durability if kept dry. It is only used locally in rustic buildings.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/214001628/original.jpeg

Attention: The pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; we therefore decline all responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.