I 9891 BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS

Principes,33(3), I989, pp. ll3-128

Endangermentof ColombianPalms

Ronnrco G. BsnNer Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Uniuersidad Nacional de , Apartado 7495, Bogotd., Colonbia

AssrRecr detailed floristic treatments (Caleano and Bernal 1987) or generic monographs (Bal- The conservation status of all palm known ick Henderson, unpubl.; Skov and io occur in Colombia is revised. Twenty two species 1986, are considered endangered, and a brief account of Balslev, unpubl.) are just beginning to each is provided; 17 species are considered vulner- appear. able; l8 species are considered rare; I2l species are Colombian natural vegetation has been insufficiently known; and 80 species are not threat- greatly modified by man, particularly in ened. The urgent need of further field work is stressed. the Andean region. As a consequence, Colombia has been recognized long ago many species of have become very as one of the countries with the largest rare (Fern6ndez-P6rez 1977) or threat- palm floras in the world (Dugand 1940, ened. This is particularly true for palms, Corner 1966). Located in the northwest- which, as pointed out by Moore (1977), ern corner of South America, its palm flora have three disadvantages:they have a sin- includesboth North American genera not gle growing point; they are widely used by found elsewhere in South America (e.g., man; and usually they are not very suc- Cryosophila, Reinhardtia), and many cessful in disturbed habitats. exclusively South American genera not Many species of palms have been found in the North American continent described from the Andean mountains and le.g., Iriartella, Leopoldinia, Lepidocar- interandean valleys of Colombia, and ,r'urz). Besides this, the physiographic and therefore they are likely to be somehow climatic diversity of the country, partic- threatened. Nevertheless, the poor knowl- ularly the intricate topography of the edge of many genera, and the lack of , provide a great richness of habi extensive field work in search of palms, tats for palms. Actually, palms grow in have made it impossible in the past to almost all of Colombia, except on the high- assess their degree of threat. Actually, no est Andean mountains, and in the driest work has ever been published on the con- areas of the country. My latest count of servation status of Colombian palms. Moore Colombian palms, which includes much (1977), based on his own field experience unpublished information, gives 261 species in Colombia, pointed out some species that in 47 genera. One hundred and one ofthe he considered endangered or vulnerable. species are endemic to the country. Galeano and Bernal (1984) made a short The economic importance of Colombian review of the endangerment of Ceroxylon palms has been recognized since the times species; and Ruiz (1984) pointed out the of the first explorers (Patiio l9B5 for ref- endangerment faced by Attalea uicto- erences), and has gained increasing atten- riana. tion in the last decades. An indication of our scarce knowledge But despite this richness, diversity, and on this subject is the fact that by Septem- economic importance, Colombian palm ber 1986, the Threatened Plants Unit's tiora remains very poorly known, and database at Kew Gardens listed 250 species It4 PRINCIPES [Vor. 33 of palms occurring in Colombia, of which ern Cordillera, are largely undisturbed, and 2I5 (86%) were treated as unknown, that it is in those areas that most of the species is, no information on their conservation I consider not threatened grow. The Sierra status was available. Nevada de Santa Marta still has large for- Extensive field work with palms in ested areas, but the status of its palms is Colombia for the last eight years, mostly poorly known. It is on the Cordilleras, along in the Andean region, has provided the the Rio Cauca and Rio Magdalena valleys, opportunity to gather very valuable infor- and on the Northern Plain, that natural mation on the distribution and conserva- vegetation has been most severely changed, tion status of Colombian palms, besidesthe and it is there that most of the threatened understanding of the identity of the palms palm speciesoccur. themselves. This information is the main body of this work, but information from NationalParks other sources has also been taken, when The Colombian system of national parks available. comprises 32 parks (Frg. 2), with a total A dramatic example of the urgent need area of 48,105 km2, that is, 4.37o oI the of field work to refine our information on country's area (Anonymous 1984). All of this matter is the fact that, based on avail- these areas are controlled by INDERENA, able data, several Colombian palms were the national institute for natural resources listed as endangered at the TPU's database and environment. Although most climates by 1986, or by Johnson(1986). Our cur- and vegetational formations are repre- rent knowledge, however, shows that sev- sented within this system of national parks, eral of these soecies must be transferred at least four important areas are not cov- "Endangered" from the category, some of ered in any park. They are: central Choc6, "not them, surprisingly, to the threat- which has been considered the world's ened" category. This is due to the fact rainiest region; the northernmost region of that recent exploration in the Pacific low- the Central Cordillera; the Rio Magdalena lands, where most of the referred species valley; and the Rio Negro basin, in the grow, has revealed that they are not so Amazon Region. All of these areas have a restricted and uncommon as formerly number of endemic palms, and of many thought. other plants as well. Two other small, private reservations mentioning. They are: La Pla- Geographic Areas are worth nada Reservation, in Departamento de For the purpose of assessingendanger- Narifio; and Finca Meremberg, in Depar- ment of Colombian palms, I have divided tamento del Huila. They are both located the country into seven geographic areas in southwesternColombia. (Fig. l): The Amazon Region, and the Although palms grow in most of these Llanos, both located east ofthg Andes, and protected areas, no information exists either roughly separated by Rio Guaviare; the on the species found on each of them, or three Andean Cordilleras; the interandean on their conservation status there. Because valleys of Rio Cauca and Rio Magdalena; of this, the occurrence of a species in a the Pacific Region, west of the Andes; the national park or a private reservation has Northern Plain, north of the Andes; and not been taken into accounl to alter the the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. category assignedto that species. Most of the Llanos and the Amazon Region, the eastern slopes of the Eastern Cordi- GonservationStatus llera, as well as most of the Pacific Region, I have assigned each of the 261 palm including the western slopes of the West- species I presently recognize from Colom- BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS

MAR CAR

€'NS'

OCEANON--

PACIFICO.l--*.,. I-i -

A Llonos B AmozonRegion C AndeonCordilleros D InterondeonVolleys I E Pocific Region I F NorthernPloin i G SierroNevodo de Sonlo Morto t r*.,o=--9-.-4*.

I. Major geographic areas of Colombia. PRINCIPES [VoL.33

National Parks and private reservations in Colombia l 9891 BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS fqble ]. Status of Colombian Palms. According to my estimate,22 species Figurespresented in this paper, contrasted of Colombian palms are endangered, 17 rrith thoseat the TPU's databaseby Sep- sp'eciesare vulnerable, I B speciesare rare, tember 1986. I2l speciesare insufficientlyknown, and 80 speciesare not threatened.Table I TPU Bernal showsthese figures, contrasted with those Category r986 r987 at the TPU's databaseby September1986. Endangered l3 22 This shows clearly how much our knowl- Vulnerable 9 I7 edge has progressed, but how large the 0 I8 Rare gaps in our knowledgeare as yet. In the Indeterminate I 0 Insuff. known 220 t2L following account, reasonswill be given for Not threatened 7 80 the inclusion of every species in the "Endangered" Cultivated 3 category, followed by Total 250 261 annotated lists of the speciesincluded in the remaining categories. bia to one of the Red Data Book categories "Endangered,""Vulnerable," "Rare," EndangeredSpecies "lnsufficiently "not "Taxa known," or threat- in danger of extinction, and whose ened." as defined bv IUCN (Anonvmous survival is unlikely if the causal factors 1980).So [ar, no Colombianpalm is Lnown continue operating. Included are taxa "Insuf- to have becomeextinct. Under the whose numbers have been reduced to a ficiently known" category I have included critical level or whose habitats have been thosespecies recorded from areasthat have so drastically reduced that they are deemed been so poorly studied for palms, that it to be in immediate danger of extinction" is possiblethat they are actually not threat- (Anonymous 1980). ened, as is the case for many speciesof There are 22 Colombian species of palms "Insuffi- the Amazon Region. Thus, my that I consider to fall in this category (Table ciently known" includesthose spdciesusu- 2). Fourteen of the species are endemic to' "Unknown," ally treated as and marked Colombia, and therefore they are also with a query. endangered at the world level. Eight species

Table 2. Endangeredpalms in Colombia.

Endemic Non-endemic

-liphanes leiostachys Burret Attalea colenda (O. F. Cook) Balslev & Henderson .liphanes pachyclada Burret Ceroxylon alpinum Bonpl. ex DC ,liphanes paraifolia Bwret Ce r oxy lo n scler op hyllurn Dtgand .Tttalea oictoriana Dugand Ceroxylon aogelianum (Engel) H. A. Wendl. Cat ob las tus a ndi nus Dugand Geonoma solitaria (Engel) Jahn Catoblastus microcarpus Burrer Phytelephas pittieri O. F. Cook Caloblastus sphaerocarpus(Burret) Burret Reinhardtia koschnyana (H. A. Wendl.) Drude ex Ceroxylon mooreanum Galeano & Bernal Dammer Cryosophila kalbreyeri (Dammer ex Burret) Dahl- Syagrus sancona Karsten gren Ceonoma chlamydostachys G. Galeano Phytelephas karstenii O. F. Cook Phytelephas tundcana. O. F. Cook Prestoea simplicifrons (Burret) DeNevers & Hen- derson Vettinia fascicularis (Burret) Moore & Dransfield llB PRINCIPES lvor. 33

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i

i^ '!

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ti:--

Aiphonesleiostochys i-,r.".:) Aiphonespochyclodo ! Aiphonesporvifolio ! t ! cotoblostussphoerocorpus Ceroxylonmooreonum Geonomochlomydostochys Prestoeosimplicifrons Wettiniofosciculoris

o="&39io,.

I 3. Distribution of some endangeredpalms endemic to Colombia. )891 BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS ll9

,re non-endemic. I will treat the species llera in Boyac6 and Santander (Fig. 5). 'l each group separately. Locally abundant in a very small area, not seen further to the north. Does not regen- EndemicSpecies erate in open areas. The stems are cut for liphanes leiostachys use in fence construction. Might be in El Cocuy National Park, but not actually \n understory palm, known only from a reported so far. Apparently a well-defined . crv restricted area at the north of the species. | .entral Cordillera, in Antioquia (Fig. 3), ,rr a largely deforested area. Unlikely to Catob las tus mic r oc ar pus ',( cur in any national park. Apparently a ,tell-defined species. A tall palm with distichous . Fairly common in a small remnant forest patch liphanes pachyclada, near the type locality (Fig. 4), where forest has almost completely disappeared. A pop- \n understory palm 2 meters tall, known ulation southeast of this one, at the border ,nly from two collections in a small area of Tam6 National Park, apparently the in the Central Cordillera in Antioquia (Fig. same species,but also very restricted. Does j ). where forest has disappeared to a great not regenerate in open areas. Apparently ,'\tent, and is still being actively destroyed. well-defined. It does not regenerate in open areas, and it has not been found elsewhere in Colom- Catob lastu s sp haero c ar pus hia. Unlikely to occur in any national park. \pparently a well-defined species. A tall forest palm known only from two localities on the Central Cordillera in Antio- liphanes parutfolia quia (Fig. 3), where forest has mostly dis- appeared. Not found elsewhere. First col- \lso an understory palm, known only from in lBB0; the area where it was tu'o collections in the same area as l. lected rediscovered in 1980 has been greatly ltachyclada (Fig. 3). Unlikely to occur in after the construction of a new any national park. Apparently a well- destroyed the country's two largest ,lefined species. highway between cities. Does not regenerale in open area'. lttaLea uictoriana Unlikely to occur in any national park. Apparently well-defined. \ stemlesspalm endemic to the Rio Cauca basin, from South Antioquia to north of Ceroxylon mooreanum \-alle, up to I,600 m of altitude (Fig. ). \[ost of its range now converted into agri- Known only from five individuals, all of , ulture, and the palm very scarce, usually them cultivated, but said to have been with very small populations. Cultivated in brought from nearby mountains on the sardens in some towns. Indicated as a Central Cordillera in Antioquia (Fig. 3), promising species for its oily seeds (Ruiz where no adults were seen. Dioecious. Two 1984). Unlikely to occur in any national of the trees are isolated males. 1rark. Probably conspecific with A. rhyn- , hocarpa Burret, of the same area, but Cr y,,,sop h i la kalb reye ri tl'ris does not alter its status. Known only from a few localities in north- western Colombia (Fig. 4), usually in small (.otoblastus a,ndinus populations. All areas where it has been \ slender palm 6 m tall, known only from found have been deforested or are under tlo close localities on the Eastern Cordi- threat. No seedlings ever seen in open 120 PRINCIPES [Vor. 33

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i-" ,ji.";,,.,:. i @ Attoleovictoriono ! = tl @ coloblostusondinus );-! t'a-.,.-.-..'tt..-rttr. € cotoblosfusmicrocorpus o";,"*1 i i O Cryosophilokolbreyeri O Phyfelephoskorstenii $ ehyfelephostumocono

o".,o=_=*_s__39?,.

4. Distribution of some endangered palms endemic to Colombia. BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS

5. Distribution of some endangerednon-endemic palms in Colombia. t22 PRINCIPES [Vor. 33

areas. Might be in the northern lowlands P r es t oect simp licifr on s of Paramillo National Park, but so far not Known only from the type locality (Fig. actually reported. Leaves much appreci- 3), where it was collected in lBB0 and ated for broom-making. Probably conspe- rediscovered in 1985. Forest has been cific with C. albida Bartlett. from eastern almost completely destroyed, and the palm Panama. does not regenerate in open areas. Not common in the remnant forest patches. Geonoma chlamydo stac hys Not found in any national park. In imme- diate danger of extinction. A well-defined First collected as late as I9Bl, this small specres. understory palm has been found only in the wet forests of the middle Rio Magda- Wettinia lena (Fig. 3), where forest destruction has fascicuktris increased after the construction of a high- Known only from a few localities at the way connecting the country's two largest northern end of the Central Cordillera in cities. Like most understory species of Departamento de Antioquia (Fig. 3), in Geonoma, it probably does not regenerate remnant forest patches and semi-open in open areas. Unlikely to occur in an1 areas, where seedlings do not seem to Tt could becomeextincl verl develop into adults. Apparently in no iflf.""tpark. national park. A well-defined species.

It must be stressed that eight of these Phytelephas ltarstenii endangered species (Fig. 3) are endemic Restricted to a very small area near Rovira, to a small area at the northern end of the Departamento del Tolima (Fig. 4), where Central Cordillera in Antioquia, where for- some 20 individuals were found in a coffee est has mostly disappeared or is currently plantation in l9B7 (G. Galeano, pers. being destroyed. None ofthem regenerates comm.). It is said that ther.e are other in open areas. The region is far away from individuals on another farm. Unlike other any national park, and there seems to be species of Phytelephas, this one was not no definite protection for any of them. The seen growing in open areas. Not found in understory species,particularly the species any national park. If this species is differ- of Aiphanes and.Prestoea simplicifrons, ent from the one that grows further to the might become extinct very soon. north in the Rio Magdalena valley, which Only two of the fourteen endangered seems to be the case (A. Barfod, pers. endemic species are cultivated, both of comm. to G. Galeano). then it is in imme- them as ornamentals: Attalea uictoriana, diate danger of extinction. and,Ceroxylon mooreanuftL Other species deserve cultivation. At least one half of these endangered Phytelephas tumacana species are known to be useful to man in Apparently restricted to a small area in different ways, and one of them, Attalea Departamento de Nariffo (Fig. 4), near the uictoriana, is an oil-yielding . Ecuadorean border, where forest is being replaced by African oil palms. Not reported Non-endemicSpecies farther to the north in Nariffo or Cauca Attalea colenda departments, or to the south in . Probably in no national park. Formerly Known only from a small area in \arifio exploited for the vegetable of its seeds. (Fig. 5), where forest is being actively A well-defined species. destroyed to establish oil-palm plantations. l 9891 BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS

Table 3. Vulnerable palrns in Colontbia.

Endemic Non-endemic

liphanes lindeniana (H. A. Wendl.) H. A. Wendl. Bactris pilosa Karsren li phanes linearis Bwret Ceroxylon quindiuense(Karst.) H. A. Wendl. liphanes simplex BwreI Chamaedorea pinnatifrons (Jacq.) Oerst. lst rora ryu m malybo Karslen Elaeis oleifera (Kunth) Cort6. Tstrocaryum triandrum Galeano, Bernal & Kahn Ceonoma lehmannii Dammer ex Burret (.atoblastusdistichus R. Bernal Geonona lindeniana H. A. Wendl. (.atoblastusmegalocarpus (Burret) Burret Geonoma marggrffia Engel L,u ter p e cuatrecasana Dugand Prestoea dasystachys (Burret) Bernal, Galeano & Henderson lf ettinia hirsuta Btrret

\ow uncommon, most individuals left in Ceroxylon sclerop hyllurn pastures.Not foundin nationalparks. Does Widespreadfrom Venezuelato (G. not grow north of this area, but is quite Galeano,pers. comm.). In Colombiait is abundantin westernEcuador. An impor- found from Norte de Santanderto Nariffo, tant oil-yieldingpalm (Cook 1942, Acosta- seldomin large populations,mostly scat- Solis1971, Patiio 1.977 Balslevand Hen- , tered individuals, usually in altered areas, derson 1987). with no regeneration. Unexpanded leaves are cut for Palm Sundayceremonies, which Ceroxylon alpinum sometimesrequires felling the tree. Dioe- In Colombia now restricted to very small cious.Grows in the National Parks of Tam6 populations, usually of scattered individ- and Farallones de Cali. Probably conspe- uals, in a small area on the drainages of cific with C. paraifrons (Engel) H. A. Rio Cauca and Rio Magdalena(Fig. 5), Wendl. (G. Galeano,pers. comm.). betweenI,300 and 2,000 m of elevation, mostly in areasof coffeeplantations, where Ceroxylon uogelianum it doesnot regenerate(Moore and Ander- son 1976). Dioecious.Considered endan- Widespreadfrom Venezuelato Peru, but gered by Moore (1977). Probably in Los always extremely uncommon. even in \evados National Park, but not actually undisturbed areas. Forest has been reported so far. Probably alsoin Venezuela destroyedthroughout a large part of its and Ecuador, but identifications requiring rangein Colombia.Unexpanded leaves are confirmation. A well-definedspecies. cut for Palm Sunday ceremonies.trees

Table 4. Rare palms in Colombia.

Endemic Non-endemic

liohanes acaulis Galeano & Bernal Ammandra decasperma O. F. Cook Ci r oxylon sc hult zei Btrr et Bactris coloniala L. H. Bailey Chamaedorea murriensis G. Galeano Bactris paula L. H. Bailey Chelyocarpus dianeurus (Burret) H. E. Moore Chamaedorea deckeriana (Klotzsch) Hemsl. Desmoncus cirrhiperus Gentry & Zardini Geonona procunbens H. A. Wendl. ex Spruce (jeonoma diuisa H. E. Moore Geonoma triandra (Burret) W. Boer Oenocarpus circumtex,tus Mart. Reinhardtia gracilis (H. A. Wendl.) Drude ex Dam- Orbignya cuatr ecasana Drgand mer ' Phvtelenhasschottii H. A. Wendl. Synechanthus warsceu;iczianus H. A. Wendl. Wettinia oxvcarDa Galeano & Bernal t24 PRINCIPES [VoL.33

Table 5. Insufficiently known palms in Colom'hia'

Endemic (H. Moore) A. Centry Aiphanes duquei Burret Chamaedorea latisecta E. Karsten) Aiphanes erinacea (Karst.) H. A. Wendl. Chamaedorert sp. (Morenia corallina Chamaedorea sp. (Morenia lindeniana H- A. Aiphanes fosteriorum H' E. Moore Aiphanes gelatinosa H' E. Moore Wendl.) (Morenia Btr' Aiphanes hirsuta BtYret Chamaedorea sp. cl macrocarpa Aiphanes Ailllpil (Burret) Burret ret) (H. & B.) Ast r ocaryum cuatr ecas anu m Dtgand Chamaedorea sp. (Morenia montana Attale,ct amygdaliza Kunth Burret) 1t I o I ea r hynrhoca r pa Botrel Chamaedorea sp- (Morenia robusla Burret) Attalea septuagenata Dtgand Euterpe andina Burre| Attalea uberrima Dugand Eut erp e, ap hanole p is Burr et Bactris cuuaro Karsret Eut erp e br eaicaulis Burr et Bactis duplex H. E. Moore Eute,rpe frigida (Kunth) Burret Bectris kalbreyeri Burret Euterpe oocarpa Burrer Bactris macrotricio Burret Eut erp e p ar u if or a Btr r er Bactris oboaata BtrreI E ut e,rp e r ho d o xyl a Dugand B actris santae- paulae Engel Euter pe zephyria Drgand' Catoblastus anomalus (Burret) Burret Ge o noma dicr ano sp adix Btrr er Catoblastus cuatrecasasii Dtgand Geonoma paradoxa Btrrer Catoblastus engelii H' A' Wendl. ex Burret Hyospathe pallida H. E. Moore Catoblastus inconstans Dugand H y o sp at he sim ple x Btrr et Catoblastus kalbreyeri (Burret) Burret Hyospathe wendlandiana Dammer ex Burret Catoblastus uelutinus Btrret P hyte,Lephas dasyneura Bvrer Chamaedorea columbica Burtet Prestoea cuatrecasasii H. E. Moore Chamaedorea dryanderae Btrrer Prestoea pubens H- E. Moore Chamaedorea kalbreyeriana H' Wendl. ex Burret Scheelea humboldtiana (Spruce) Burret

Non-endemic Mart. ex Acoelorrhapheurightii (Griseb& H. A' Wendl.) Desmoncus tenerrimus (Mart. ex Drude) H. A. Wendl. ex Becc. Burret Aip hanes orinoce ns is Btrrer Desmoncus uaciaus L. H. BaileY Bactris amoena BurreI Euter pe catinga W allace Bactris aristata Marl- Euterpe karsteniana Engel Bactris caribaea Karsten Euterpe oleracea Mart- B actris chaetospathaMart. Euterpe purpurea Engel B actris cuspidata Marr. Geonoma aff. appuniana Sprtce densa Linden & H' A. Wendl. ex H. A. Bactris fssifrons Mafi. Geonoma Bactris granatensis(Karsten) H. A. Wendl' Wendl. Bactris hirta MarI- Geonoma h ei n ri r hsia e Burrel Bactris humilis (Wallace)Burret Geonoma helminthoclada Bvret Bactris lakoi Bwret Geonoma interrupta (R. & P.) Mart. B actris leptospadix Btrret Geonoma jussieuana Marr. Bdctis macane (Mart.) Pittier Geonoma pachydicrana Burret Bactris piritu (Karsten)H. A. Wendl' G e o no ma p innatifr o ns W illd. Bactris riparia Mat. Geonoma pulcherrima Btrtet Bactris schultes;i (L. H. Bailey) Glassman Geonoma pulchra Engel Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana (Linden & H. A. Geonoma seleri Burret Wendl.) H. A. Wendl. Geonoma sodiroi Dammet ex Burret Chamaedoreabartlingiana H. A. Wendl. Geonoma spinescens H. A. Wendl. ex Burret Chamaedorea geonomiformis H. A. Wendl. Geonoma triglochin Bwret Chamaedorealinearia L. H. BaileY Geonoma weberbaueri Dammer ex Burret Chamaedorea paucifora Mart. Hyospathe concinna H. E. Moore Chamaedoreapygmaea H. A. Wendl' Hyospathe lehmannii Bwret Coccothrinaxjamaicensis R. W' Read L eo p oldi nia maj o r W allace r 9891 BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS

Table 5. Continued.

Leopoldinia piassaba Wallace Orbignya luet zelburgii Burret Leopoldinia pulchra Mart. Pholidostachys pulchra H. A. Wendl. ex Burret Lepidocaryum casiquiarense (Spruce) Drude Pholidostachys synanthera (Mart.) H. f,. l\tloore I-epidocaryum guainiense (Spruce) Spruce ex Prestoea brachyclada (Burret) Bernal, Galeano& Drude Henderson Lepidocaryum tenue Marr. Prestoealatisecta (Burret) Bernal, Galeano & Hen- Lepidocaryum tessmannii Btrrel derson llanicaria atricha Bwret Scheelea izslgnis (Mart.) Karsten .lfanicaria martiena Btrret Socratea rostreta Bwret lI aur it ia c a r a na W allace Syagrus inojai (Spruce) Becc. llauritiella aculeata (Kunth) Burret Syagrus orinocensis (Spruce) Burret .lI auritiella catar act arum Dugand Wettinia maynensis Sprtce .l[auritiella martiana (Spruce) Burret Wettinia uerruculosaH. E. Moore llauritiella subinermis (Spruce) Burret often being felled. Dioecious. Grows in El Does not thrive outside the forest. Appar- Cocuy National Park, and probably also ently in no national park. Ranges from in Tam5. Nicaragua to Colombia, and is considered also endangered in Costa Rica and Panama Ceonoma solitaria (Johnson 1986). In immediate danger of Restricted to a small area of highlands on extinction. the Eastern Cordillera, from Norte de San- "soli- Syagrus sancona tander to Boyac6 (Fig. 5). Named taria" by Engel (1865), who saw only one Grows in several areas of Colombia, most individual at the type locality, and failed of them now converted into pastures or to find any other during his travel in the agriculture, where the conserved palms do country. fJncommon, most areas now not regenerate. Usually uncommon deforested or threatened. Often left in open throughout its range. Considered endan- areas, but seedlings were not seen. Grows gered by Moore (I977). Grows in Reserva in Tam6 National Park, and probably also Nacional Natural La Vacarena, but cer- in El Cocuy. Probably also in Venezuela, tainly not protected there. Widely distrib- just across the Colombian border. uted in northwestern South America. Phytelephas pittieri VulnerableSpecies o'Taxa Grows in a small area in northwestern believed likely to morre into the Colombia, in Antioquia, Choc6, and C5r- Endangered category in the near future if doba (Fig. 5). Locally abundant at some the causal factors continue operating. places, but all forest there being rapidly Included are taxa of which most or all the destroyed. Sometimes left in pastures, but populations are decreasing because of over- apparently with no regeneration. Dioe- exploitation, extensive destruction of hab- cious. Grows also in Panama. itat or other environmental disturbance; taxa with populations that have been seri- R einhardtia koschnyana ously depleted and whose ultimate security A dwarf understory palm, formerly very is not yet assured; and taxa with popula- abundant in the forests of the UrabS region tions that are still abundant but are under in Antioquia (Fig. 5), one of the areas of threat from serious adverse factors fastest forest destruction in the country, throughout their range" (Anonymous and a center of agricultural development. r980). r26 PRINCIPES [Vor. 33

Table 6. llot-threatened palms in Cctlombia

Endemic

Acrocomia antioquiensis Posada-Arango Geonoma chococoLa W. Boer Aiphanes concinna H. E. Moore Le pido car yum alle nii Dtgand' Aip hanes kalbreyeri Btrret Prestoea simplicifolia G. Galeano Aip hane s mo no stac hy s Btrr er S c heeLea at tale o ide s Kar sten Attalea nuc(bra Karsten Scheelea butyracea (Mutis ex L. f.) Karsten ex H. A. Catoblastus pube.scens (Karsten) H. A. Wendl Wendl. Catoblastus radiatus (Cook & Doyle) Burret Scheelea ercelsa Karsten Euterpe kdlbreyeri Burret Syagrus allenii Classman Geonoma caly p tr ogy noidea Burret Wettiniu castanea Moore & Dransfield

Non-endemic Ai p hanes macroloba Burrer Geonoma euspatha Brrtet Asterogyne martiana (H. A. Wendl.) H. A. Geonoma juruana Dammer 'Wendl. ex Hemsl. Geonoma laxif ora Mart. Astrocaryum acaule Marr. G e.onoma lep t osp adi x Tr ail Astr o car yum c hambira Burr et C eonoma mac r ost ac ht's Mart, Astrocaryum j auari Mart. Geonoma maxima (Poit ) Kunth As tr o car yum mac r o calyx BtrreI Geonoma oxycar pa \lart. Astrocaryum standleyanum L. H. Bailey Geonoma piscicauda Dammer Attalea allenii H. E. Moore Geonoma pycnostachrs \lart. undat a Klotzsch Attalea ferruginea Burret Geonoma B actris balan,oplzora Spruce Hyospathe elegans trIart. Bctctris barronis L. H. Bailey Jessenia 6ataza (N'Iart.) Burret Bactris coloradonis L. H. Bailey Iriartea dekoidea R. & P. Bactris concinna Marr. Iriartella setigera (Nlart.) H. A. Wendl. aryum gr a c i I e \lar t - Bactris 5;uineensls (L.) H. E. Moore Le pidoc Bactris major Jacq. Manicar ia sac cife r a C aertn- Bactris maraja Mart. Mauritia fexuosa L. {. Bactris monticola Barb. Rodr. Mauritie.lla macroclada (Burret) Burret Bactris sigmoidea Burret Maximiliana maripa \Correa de Serra) Drude B act r is s implicifr ons Mart - Oenocarpus bacaba Mart- Catoblastus ae,qualis (Cook & Doyle) Burret O eno car pu s ma P o ra Kar sren Catoblastus drudei Cook & Doyle Pholidostachvs dactyloides H' E' Moore Chamoedorea integrifolia (Trail) Dammer Prestoea decurrens (H. A. Wendl. ex Burret) H' Chamaedorea lanceolata (R. & P.) Kunth E. Moore Copernicia tectorum (Kunth) Mart. Raphia taedigera (Mart.) Mart. D e.smoncus or t hacant hos Mart. Sabal mauritiiformls (Karsten) Griseb. & H. A. Dictyocaryum lamarckianum (Mart') H. A. Wendl. ex Criseb. Wendl. Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) H. A. Wendl. Euterpe precatoria Mart. Socratea hecatonandra (Dugand) R. Bernal Geonoma acaulis Mart. Socratea tnontan& Bernal & Henderson Ge,onoma b r o n gniar tii MarI. Welf.a regia H. A. Wendl. ex Andr6 Geonoma camano Trall Wettinia cladospadix (Dugand) Moore & Drans- Geonoma cuneata H. A. Wendl. ex Spruce field Geonomq deoersa (Poit.) Kunth Vettinia quinaria (Cook & Doyle) Burret

There are 17 Colombian palm species dalena, bt Euterpe cuatrecasana grows currently recognized to be vulnerable (Table also in the Pacific lowlands, and' Bactris 3), i 0 of which are endemic to the country. pilosa and,ELaeis oleifera grow also in the All of these species grow on the Andean Northern Plain. While for most sPeciesthe Cordilleras or in the vallev of Rio Mae- main threat is habitat destruction. the major Le8gl BERNAL:COLOMBIAN PALMS r27 tlrreat for Euterpe alatrecasana is the these oalms have been included under the "Insufficiently large-scale destruction of its populations known" category (Table 5). lor the industrial production ofpalm heart. This figure represents 46% of all palms At least 8 of these vulnerable species known to occur in Colombia, and it shows .rre useful to man. the great need of further field work for palms in this country. Fifty one of these species are endemic to Colombia. It is pos- RareSpecies sible that a number of these palms, par- "Taxa with small world populations that ticularly those growing in the Amazon .rre not at present endangered or vulner- Region, could turn out to be not threat- .rble but are at risk. These taxa are usually ened, but, on the other hand, it is very iocalized within restricted geographical probable that many of the insufficiently .rreas or habitats or are thinly scattered known species from the Andean region, ,r\ er a more extenslve range" (Anonymous most of which are endemic, will be found i980). to be vulnerable or endangered. There are l8 Colombian palms that are not under apparent immediate threat, but Not-ThreatenedSpecies or widespread. n hich are not very common There are B0 speciesof Colombian palms considered rare (Table 4). l'hey must be that I consider to be not threatened (Table endemic to Colombia. Eight of them are 6), 17 of which are endemic. The not- known to be rare \il but two of the species threatened species fall into two groups: lowlands or on the srow in the Pacific most soecies are considered to be not the Western Cordillera. \restern slopes of threatened because they are quite abun- schuhzei, appears One species, CeroxyLon dant and widespread over a large area of the Sierra Nevada de to be endemic to rather undisturbed vegetation, mostly in another, Phytelephas 5anta Marta, and the Pacific lowlands and the western slopes ,chottii, common in a very small is quite of the Western Cordillera, or on the east- where it irrea on the Eastern Cordillera, ern slopes of the Eastern Cordillera, the threat. Oezo- ieems to be out of immediate Llanos or the Amazon Region; a few species, is a poorly known t erf.)us circumtextus on the other hand (e.g., Acrocomia antio- proposed as an endangered taxon that was quiensis ar'd Attalea nucifera) grow in .pecies (Johnsonl986), by Moore in 1980 quite disturbed areas, but they regenerate in that category at the and maintained and develop in such areas, and their pop- However, accord- l'PU's databaseat Kew. ulations do not seem to decrease. Zimbabwe ing to I. S. Turner, of Harare, Further field work will no doubt give us La Pedrera (the lers. comm.), who visited a sharper image of the situation. For the , ,n1y 1983, and collected known locality) in time being, the available information -eeds palm, it is not and photographed the already depicts a critical panorama with over the rrrdanger, since there is no threat 15% of the species known to be threat- too rocky for L,)nelyarea, the soil being ened. It is to be hoped that immediate I am treating this .rsriculture. Therefore, actions are taken by conservation orga- -Pecles as rare. nizalions. so that these unique organisms can be saved from their imminent extinc- InsufficientlyKnown Species tion. There are l2l species of Colombian Acknowledgments l,alms that are either very poorly known, ,rr whose range, frequency, and potential Financial support from CINDEC, of ,)r actual threats are not known. All of UniversidadNacional de Colombia.Fair- r28 PRINCIPES [VoL.33 child Tropical Garden, The International FrnN.4Noez-Pfnuz,A. 1977. The preparationof the endangeredspecies list of Colombia. 1n: C. Palm Society, and W'orld Wildlife Fund- T. Prance and T. S. Elias (eds.).Extinction is US has made field work possible, and it is forever: The status of threatened and endan- gratefully acknowledged. I thank also GIo- gered plants of the Americas. New York Botan- ria Galeano and Ian S. Turner for discus- ical Garden,Bronx, New York, pp. II7-I27. sion concerning the status of some species; GArn,cNo,G. ANDR. BnRNlr. 1984. Las palmas de cera en peligrode extinci6n.Colombia: Cien- Hugh Synge for discussion concerning the cia y Tecnologia2(2): 26 27. IUCN categories, and for providing valu- and -. 1987. Palmas del Depar- able information; and Silvio Fern5ndez for tamento de Antioquia; Regi6n occidental. Uni- preparing the maps. versidadNacional de Colombia,Centro Editorial, Bogot6'. JoHNSoN,D. 1986. Economicbotany and threat- LrrnneruRnCrrnl ened speciesof the palm family in Latin America and the Caribbean. II. The status of threatened AcosrA-Solis. M. 1971. Palrnaseconomicas del speciesof the palm family in Latin America and noroccidenteecuatoriano. Naturaleza Ecuato- the Caribbean.Final Report WWF 3322, Wash- riana 1(2):80-163. ington. ANoNyMous. 1980. How to use the IUCN Red Moonn, H. E. 1977. Endangermentat the specific Data Book Categories.IUCN, Kew. and generic levels in palms. 1n: G. T. Prance 1984. Colombia; Parques Nacionales. and T. S. Elias (eds.).Extinction is forever: The INDERENA, Bogot6. status of threatened and endangered plants of Berrcr, M. J. 1986. Systematicsand economic the Americas. New York Botanical Garden, botany of rhe Oenocarpus-Jessenia (Palmae) Bronx, New York, pp. 267 282. complex.Advances in EconomicBotany 3: l- and A. B. ANDERsoN. 1976. Ceroxylon 140. alpinum and.Cerottlon quindiuense(Palmae). BALSLEV.H. eNr A. HrwtrnsoN. I987. The iden- GentesHerbarum 1l(3): I68-185. tity of Ynesa colenda (Palmae).Brittonia 39(1): Pe.rrfro, V. M. 1977. Palmas oleaginosasde la 16. costacolombiana del Pacifico.Cespedesia 6: I 3 I - Coor, O. F. 1942. A new commercialoil palm in 257. Ecuador.Natl. Hort. Magazine2l: 70-85. 1985. Historia de la botanicay de las CoRNER,E. J. H. 1966. The natural history of cienciasafines en Colombia.Ed. Lerner, BogotS. palms. University of California.Press,Berkeley. Rurz-EcnEvrnnY.M. 1984. Contribuci6nal cono- DucAND, A. 1940. Palmas de Colombia.Clave cimiento de la palma de almendr5n. Cespedesia diagn6sticade los g6nerosy n6mina de las espe- l3: 139 I5I. cies conocidas.Caldasia l: 20 84. ENGEL.F. 1865. Palmaenovae columbianae.Lin- naea 33: 665-692.

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