Prestoea acuminata var. montana (vernacular English: Sierran palm;[2][3] vernacular Spanish: palma de sierra[4]) is a perennial palm in the family Arecaceae.
Description
A palm with a thin and tall stipe and a uniform diameter, reaching heights of 45 feet.
Distribution
It is found throughout the Greater Antilles as well as the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean.
Habitat
Generally found in mountains of up to 1,300 feet (400 m) high.[5] It grows in the forest of creeks in the mountains, and on the steep slopes of the highest peaks in Puerto Rico. It is also found in Toro Negro State Forest, in the Puerto Rico Cordillera Central.[4] According to studies in the Luquillo Mountains, this palm also is associated with landslides.[6]
Uses
The fruit is the favorite food of the Puerto Rican parrot.[7]
Taxonomy
The plant was first described as Euterpe montana and was later transferred to the genus Prestoea.[8]
- Etymology
Prestoea: generic name in honor of Henry Prestoe (1842–1923), English botanist and traveler, who collected the plant in Trinidad.[9]
montana: from the Latin, meaning "from the mountain".[10]
Gallery
Prestoea acuminata var. montana forest in Toro Negro
Prestoea acuminata var. montana among trees, El Yunque
Prestoea acuminata var. montana on the banks of a creek, El Yunque
Roots of Prestoea acuminata var. montana in El Yunque
References
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^ "Prestoea acuminata var. montana (Graham) A.J.Hend. & Galeano". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
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^ Prestoea montana (Graham) G. Nicholson; Taxonomic Serial No.: 42460. ITIS Report. Taxonomic Serial No.: 42460. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. White House Subcommittee on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics. USGS Reston, VA. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
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^ Prestoea acuminata (Willd.) H.E. Moore var. montana (Graham) A. Hend. & G. Galeano: Sierran palm. USDA. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
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^ a b Bosques de Puerto Rico: Bosque Estatal de Toro Negro. Archived 2015-08-07 at the Wayback Machine Hojas de Nuestro Ambiente. July 2008. [Publication/Issue: P-030] Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
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^ Miner Solá, E. Árboles de Puerto Rico y exóticos. Puerto Rico. 3rd edition. ISBN 0-9633435-8-0. 2000.
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^ Guariguata, M.R. (1990). "Landslide disturbance and forest regeneration in the Upper Luquillo mountains of Puerto Rico". Journal of Ecology. 78 (3): 814–832. doi:10.2307/2260901. JSTOR 2260901.
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^ Mowbray, Alan M. 2002. Bosque Nacional del Caribe Guía Interpretativa de Palo Colorado. Puerto Rico:Servicio Forestal de los Estados Unidos, Bosque Nacional del Caribe
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^ Prestoea montana in Tropicos
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^ John Dransfield, Natalie Uhl, Conny Asmussen-Lange, William Baker, Madeline Harley and Carl Lewis. Genera Palmarum: The Evolution and Classification of Palms. Published by Kew, in association with the International Palm Society and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University. August 2008.
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^ Archibald William Smith A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, p. 239, at Google Books
