Barcella odora

[CoconutFreak]

Does anyone grow Barcella odora? It is a relative of Elaeis, but there is very little information on them. Anyone know anything about it.

[Eric in Orlando]

Years ago I had a small one in a container maybe 6 inches tall. Tmeperatures near 30F killed it. I've never seen plants or seed available since then.

[Moose]

Years ago I had a small one in a container maybe 6 inches tall. Tmeperatures near 30F killed it. I've never seen plants or seed available since then.

Neither have I! Eric is correct - Not very common at all.

Ron.

[Gileno Machado]

...sorry posted twice

[Gileno Machado]

This thread made me go look at my Barcella odora seeds, put to germinate since june 2009, with no movement as yet. I received those seeds from a friend in Sao Paulo, who had brought them back from Barcelos, a town in the state of AM, located in upper Rio Negro. I've heard these seeds, like Elaeis and Astrocaryum, are actually difficult to germinate and take a long time to sprout naturally. I know Lorenzi is growing one in his property but those are very rare palms in cultivation, even in Brazil. I haven't seen any at the JBRJ - Rio Botanical Garden, but they may have a few hidden somewhere in their Amazonic section.

They look fantastic in the pictures I've seen, like most dwarf palms...I still have my fingers crossed down here...I'm afraid of increasing the temperature and damaging the seeds, well...

[amazondk]

There is an area along BR 174 going north from Manaus to Boa Vista where I found a population of this palm growing along the road. Unfortunately I have not been able to find the pictures I took in my files. I will keep looking though. They are growing in an open area on sandy soil which is known as Campina vegetation. I did find a picture on the internet which is below. I have asked the truck drivers that bring cargo down to me to keep an eye out in the area if they can find any seeds. But, so far no luck. This is about 375 kms from Manaus and I am not driving the highway much any more. Well, maybe some day I will hit it right and be there when there are fruits.

dk

[amazondk]

I did manage to locate an old picture I took of the palms. I have some more somewhere from another stop at this spot. Actually they are a nice lookg palm. I think I just might drive up and dig some and bring home. They almost look like a mini Euterpe precatoria the way the fronds curve.

Barcella odora in habit

The red box is approximately where I took the picture. When you look south of this spot you can see the Negro. This is the band where this palm is found in habitat I believe. The are found as I mentioned before in the sandy deposits in the region which originated from sand deposits from sediment coming off the Guyana Shield.

[Moose]

Don - it would really hurt my feelings if I found some of these seeds in my mail box postmarked from Brazil!

Ron.

[Moose]

Don - it would really hurt my feelings if I found some of these seeds in my mail box postmarked from Brazil!

Whoops, how did that happen?

Ron.

[amazondk]

Moose,

Maybe I should try and get a certain amount of seeds. I did collect one once and the maid threw it away. I do not have the maid anymore.

Here are a few more pictures I found of them in habitat. They grow in areas seasonally flooded. But, they do not grow with Mauritias, although Mauritias can be found close. These pictures show the habit quite well. I now am more anxious to go get some. I will need to take my rubber boots though.

dk

This pictures shows the habitat quite well of the Campina forest. As the vegetation transitions into the high land forest, terra firme in the back there are several towring Dinizia excelsa trees in the far back ground. These trees are some of the largest of our forest reaching over 90 meters in height and sometime 3 meters or more in diameter.

Close up of spear.

The black water is found in the area and covers the roots of the trees, but they are not totally flooded over.

A very nice specimen.

[amazondk]

This thread made me go look at my Barcella odora seeds, put to germinate since june 2009, with no movement as yet. I received those seeds from a friend in Sao Paulo, who had brought them back from Barcelos, a town in the state of AM, located in upper Rio Negro. I've heard these seeds, like Elaeis and Astrocaryum, are actually difficult to germinate and take a long time to sprout naturally. I know Lorenzi is growing one in his property but those are very rare palms in cultivation, even in Brazil. I haven't seen any at the JBRJ - Rio Botanical Garden, but they may have a few hidden somewhere in their Amazonic section.

They look fantastic in the pictures I've seen, like most dwarf palms...I still have my fingers crossed down here...I'm afraid of increasing the temperature and damaging the seeds, well...

Gileno,

I do not think heat would be a problem. I think that fire is relatively common in areas where these palms grow as well. And, if I remember right the one I found with fruit was around September. So, that would put it fruiting in the toward the end of the Roraima rainy season. In exposed areas in the dry season the temperatures on the open ground where these palms grow get very hot. My experience the the tucumã, Astrocaryum aculeatum is that if you just throw them out in hot exposed areas and leave them alone in about a year they germinate. I think they germinate well where they suffer burning from time to time. The palm is very common in capoeira, or secondary forest areas. At my place in the country they pop up everywhere.

dk

[Moose]

Don - have you seen any more seeding palms?

You probably don't have much time now that the kids are growing and your cranking out all that cool looking furniture.

[amazondk]

Moose,

You are right about that. And, I have not gotten up north again since that trip. At least by car. I do have a little seedling from that trip still alive though.

DK

[realarch]

Interesting, look very Euterpe' like. Unusual palm, I have never run across one here in Hawaii. Thanks Don