Syagrus vermicularis
Syagrus vermicularis
The noodle palm (Syagrus vermicularis noblick 2004) is a arboreal species belonging to the Arecaceae family.
Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Plantae Kingdom,
Magnoliophyta division,
Liliopsida class,
Underclasse arecidae,
Order arecales,
Arecaceae family,
Arecoideae subfamille,
Cocoseae tribes,
Subdue butiinae,
Syagrus genre,
S. Vermicularis species.
Etymology –
The term Syagrus is of uncertain origin; The most accredited hypothesis is that it derives from the name Syagrus given by Pliny the Elder (23/24 AD – 79) to a variety of palm for dates.
The specific vermicularis epithet comes from the Latin “vermicularis, e”, that is, vermicular, with the appearance of small worm, with reference to the ends of the rachilles without flowers and tangled like an intricate mass of worms.
Geographical distribution and habitat –
Syagrus Vermicularis is a palm original from Brazil (Maranhão, Pará, Rondônia and Tocantins).
His habitat is that of the pre-aamazonian, marginal or secondary forests with deep land of brick clay on mild or steep hilly slopes, often growing in open pastures but also on lower slopes adjacent to the floral floods, between 100 and 300 m in altitude .
Description –
The Syagrus Vermicularis is a palm that grows with single, erect stems, up to 10 m high and with a diameter of about 12-20 cm and internal about 9-17 cm long.
The leaves are about 12-15 in crown, arranged in a spiral; They are pen, arched, up to about 2.5 m long, with 100-140 pairs of linear leaves with a acuminated pendant apex, distributed along the spine in groups of 2-3 with different corners, long in the central part 80-90 cm and 3-4 cm wide, intense shiny green color. The leaf sheek, 60-80 cm long, open from the opposite side to the petiole, presents fibrous margins and is covered, together with the petiole, by a whitish lamp of early fell.
The inflorescences are particular as the woody bracts, rejoicing outside and even 1 m long with a beak of 4-5 cm, bear, unique in the palm trees, of the Rachille without flowers in the terminal part, tangled together like a cluster intricate of worms. The fruits, which therefore grow only at the base, are educated, an important source of food also for local fauna.
These inflorescences are found on a 30-60 cm long peduncle, between the leaves, 60-90 cm long, initially enclosed by a woody bract, up to about 1 m long, thick, equipped with the apex of a “beak” long 4 -5 cm, grayish and externally stripes. First -order branches with yellowish unisexual flowers arranged in triads (a female flower between two male); The terminal parts of the numerous Rachilles, totally without flowers, are folded on themselves and tangled like a mass of worms.
The fruits are ovoid in shape, up to about 6 cm long and 4 cm in diameter, orange with maturity, with fibrous mesocarp and ovoid endocarp, bone, reddish brown color, about 5 cm long and 3.5 cm in diameter.
Cultivation –
Syagrus Vermicularis is a palm that is located in the natural state in the forests of pre-amazonia, often on clayey soils and at an altitude between 100 and 300 m.
It often grows in open pastures and hilly systems together with other palms, such as: Oenocarpus Bataua, Oenocarpus Disticus, Attala Maripa (Maxmiliana Maripa) and with Euterpe Oleracea in the lower areas.
It is a quick -growing palm, with good cold resistance and drought.
It is a palm with a slender, elegant bearing, which certainly deserves a place in the gardens of the areas with tropical climate, subtropical and tempered hottest mild.
For its cultivation it needs full sun, or at the most a slight shading in the youth phase, and has no particular needs regarding the soil, provided that it is perfectly draining.
If well rooted it can bear short periods of drought, but benefits from regular watering in the climates characterized by long periods of dry heat; It also has good resistance to the strong winds.
The reproduction takes place for seed which must be previously kept in water for 3 days, in draining soil kept wet at 26-28 ° C, with germination times starting from 2-3 months.
Uses and traditions –
Syagrus Vermicularis is a recently determined plant that is known with some common names; Among these we report: Noodle Palm (English); Pati, a shared name in Brazil with the Syagrus Botryophora.
It is a unique palm tree, discovered at the end of the 20th (only in 1994) by Larry Noblick in the north-eastern Brazilian province of Maranhão and officially described in 2004; It represents one of the most significant events of recent times in the area of Arecaceae.
Its fruits are educated and sometimes consumed by indigenous populations, they are also an important source of food for local fauna.
The characteristic inflorescence is released by a large wood brat and has countless and long yellow flowering branches that are curiously twisted, which somehow remember a package of Ramen Noodles (hence the common English name). In cultivation it is still rarely seen, but has shown that it is easy to grow and very adaptable to all tropical climates and many hot temperate.
From an ecological point of view, this palm is threatened by the heavy wood withdrawal practices, which are reducing regional forests to pasture. However, this kind of palm seems to thrive in secondary growth and farmers often maintain trees in their pastures.
The leaves are also used to make materials such as mats, roofs, etc.
Preparation methods –
Syagrus Vermicularis is a palm that is a source of food especially for local fauna but whose fruits are often consumed also by local populations.
Do not be known medicinal uses.
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. (edited by), 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 pharmacy of the Lord, advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler publisher.
Photo source:
– https://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Syagrus_vermicularis
– https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/52692-syagrus-vermicularis/#comment-805883
ATTENTION: pharmaceutical applications and halimurgical uses are indicated to mere information purpose, do not represent in any way medical prescription; Therefore, any responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes is declined.