Butia odorata

Common name

jelly palm, pindo palm

Description

Stem: Solitary, erect, to 6 m tall and 50 cm in diameter, covered with old, woody leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
bases or ridged with leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
scars. Leaves: Pinnatepinnate:
like a feather; palms with pinnate leaves usually have compound leaflets attached to a rachis, although a pinnate leaf may be entire with pinnate veins (e.g., <em>Chamaedorea metallica</em>)
, reduplicatereduplicate:
Most palm leaflets or leaf segments are obviously folded. If the folds create an upside-down V-shape, with the margins lower than the midrib (so that rain might "run off the roof"), the folding is reduplicate.
, with a twisting, arched rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
. The petiole is armed with spines along the margins; the linearlinear:
term to describe leaves and leaflets that are narrow with nearly parallel margins; like a line
, blue-green or gray-green leaflets, with large brownish ramentaramenta:
irregularly shaped, thin scales, sometimes found along the abaxial midrib of a leaflet
on the abaxialabaxial:
away from or the side of an organ facing away from the axis (<strong>ab </strong>as in <strong>ab</strong>andon); for example, the lower surface of a leaf blade or petiole
surface, are regularly arranged and form a V-shape. Flowers and fruit: A woody, beaked spathe covers the meter-long inflorescenceinflorescence:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
which is branched once. Staminatestaminate:
a flower bearing stamens but no pistils; a “male” flower
and pistillatepistillate:
a flower bearing a pistil but no stamens; a “female” flower
flowers are produced on the same inflorescenceinflorescence:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
and may be reddish to yellow in color. Fruits are up to 2.5 cm long and yellow or orange when ripe.

Diagnostic features

Field: Blue-green or gray-green pinnatepinnate:
like a feather; palms with pinnate leaves usually have compound leaflets attached to a rachis, although a pinnate leaf may be entire with pinnate veins (e.g., <em>Chamaedorea metallica</em>)
leaves on a twisting rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
, teeth along the petiole margin and a stem clothed with old leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
bases or ringed with leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
scars.

Lab: Large brownish ramentaramenta:
irregularly shaped, thin scales, sometimes found along the abaxial midrib of a leaflet
are visible in the field at the base of leaflets on the abaxialabaxial:
away from or the side of an organ facing away from the axis (<strong>ab </strong>as in <strong>ab</strong>andon); for example, the lower surface of a leaf blade or petiole
surface, but they may be examined more closely in the lab.

May be confused with

Other Butia species are similar, but much less common in our region. Hybrids are also possible for this species.

Distribution

Native to subtropical southern South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina)

Additional comments

This is one of the more cold hardy palms and may be seen growing in more northern localities in the United States.

Scientific name

Butia odorata (Barb. Rodr.) Noblick

Family

Arecaceae/Palmae

Synonyms

Calappa capitata ( Mart. ) Kuntze

Cocos capitata Mart.

Cocos elegantissima Chabaud

Cocos erythrospatha Chabaud

Cocos odorata Barb. Rodr.

Cocos pulposa Barb. Rodr.

Syagrus capitata ( Mart. ) Glassman