Geonoma interrupta (Ruiz & Pav¢n) Martius, Arecaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Geonoma binervia Oerst.; Geonoma euspatha Burret; Geonoma martinicensis Mart.; Geonoma oxycarpa Mart.

Common name(s): [more details]

Spanish: manaca, pacuca

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Plants 3-6 meters high, the trunk 5-7 cm. thick, conspicuously annulate; leaves ascending, unequally pinnatisect, the petiole 30-60 cm. long; the blades as much as 2 meters long; leaf segments about 25 pairs, variable in width, glabrous or sometimes sparsely scurfy on the nerves, 50-60 cm. long, the narrowest ones about 1 cm. wide, the larger ones 7-8 cm. wide or the terminal ones 12 cm. wide or more, narrowly long-attenuate at the apex, obliquely attached and not narrowed below; spadix much branched, the long peduncle subtended at the base by 2 conspicuous erect valves 15-20 cm. long; inflorescences 60-75 cm. long, pendent, diffusely branched, sometimes erect, the ultimate branchlets somewhat pubescent, dark red or maroon, 20-30 cm. long, 2-3 mm. thick, the flowers minute, purplish; staminate flowers about 4 mm. long, usually somewhat exserted at anthesis; pistillate flowers smaller, the 3 stigmas exserted; fruit globose-oblong or globose, 4-6 mm. long, glabrous, brownish black at maturity, or sometimes black and lustrous"  (Standley & Steyermark, 1958; p. 266).

"Small, monoecious tree, to 6 m tall; trunk to 6.5 cm in diameter; leaf scars prominent, to 8 cm apart. Leaves glabrous, irregularly pinnate, ca 2.5 m long; petioles 40-65 cm long, vaginate at base, flattened above with sharp edges; blades often more than 2 m long; leaflets in 20-30 pairs, abruptly long-acuminate, held in a single plane, 45-60 cm long, 1-9 cm wide (except terminal), spaced 1-10 cm apart, with 1-7 ribs prominent on upper and lower surfaces; rachis flat below, becoming triangulate by middle of blade; juvenile leaves entire. Spadix somewhat maroon, compound, branched many times, 60-75 cm long, often about as broad as long, lightly pubescent; flower pits spirally arranged in 5 series ca 3-6 mm apart; staminate flowers whitish, exserted, ca 4 mm long; pistillate flowers shorter, embedded. Fruits globular-ellipsoid, 4-6 mm long; pericarp slightly fleshy, becoming reddish and finally purple to black at maturity; seed 1"  (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guatemala (native), "moist or wet, dense, mixed lowland forest, at or little above (about 150 meters) sea level" (Standley & Steyermark, 1958; p. 266).  In Panama (native), "occasional and usually widely dispersed in the forest"  (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Mexico, Central America and northern South America (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. (1958) (pp. 266-267)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. (1958) (pp. 266-267)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	Palmweb (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. (1958) (pp. 266-267)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. (1958) (pp. 266-267)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. (1958) (pp. 266-267)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Geonoma interrupta, please let us know.