Arecaceae
Bactris

Bactris gasipaes Kunth

First published in F.W.H.A.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 302 (1816), nom. cons.
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & S. Tropical America. It is a tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1500 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Guaviare, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): VU A2ac.
Habit
Tree, Caespitose palm.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Bobi, Cachipá, Cachipay, Chichagua, Chima, Chonta, Chonta de castilla, Chontaduro, Chontaduro amarillo, Macanilla, Melocotón, Pejibaye, Piba
[UPFC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 0 - 1500 m.
Distribution
Native and cultivated in Colombia.
Morphology General Habit
Tree.
[UPB]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
cachipá, cachipae, cachipay, chontadura, chontaduro, chontaduro amarillo, chontaduro colorado, chontaduro de pescado, chontaduro mantecoso, chontaduro rojo, chontaduro sin pepa, palma cachipá, palma chontadura, palma de chontaduro, pejibá, pepire, pijibá, pijiguao, pijuayo, pipire, pipirí, pupuña
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa y cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1500 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Árbol, palma cespitosa
Conservation
Vulnerable
[CPLC]

General Description
Subcanopy palm. Stems solitary or clustered, 5-15 m tall, 10-20 cm in diameter. Leaf blade 2-3.5 m long; pinnae 100-125 on each side, inserted in groups and spreading in different planes, the central ones 60-80 cm long and 3-5 cm wide. Inflorescences 40-75 cm long; branches 50-80, to 35 cm long. Female flowers scattered along the branches. Fruit globose to ovoid, yellow to red, smooth, 1.5-5 cm long; fruiting perianth with a very small calyx and a much longer, briefly lobed corolla; staminodial ring absent.
Distribution
Widespread in the neotropics, mostly cultivated.
[PW]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Use Animal Food
Eaten by animals (Valencia 2014).
Use Materials Fibres
Leaves - The leaves are used to make baskets (Carvajal et al. 2014).
Use Environmental Ornamentals
Live plant (in situ) - Ornamental (Carvajal et al. 2014).
Use Environmental Soil Improvers
Live plant (in situ) - Used as a soil improver (Valencia 2014).
Use Food
Seeds - edible, eaten as a snack (Carvajal et al. 2014).
Use Food Oils & Fats
Infructescences - Cooking oil is extracted from the fruit (Carvajal et al. 2014).
Use Food Other Food Type
The flour is used to prepare the alcoholic beverage known as chicha (Carvajal et al. 2014).
Use Materials
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials Lipids (Fats And Oils)
Industrial oil (Valencia 2014).
Use Materials Tannins/Dyestuffs
Leaves - Green dye is extracted from the leaves (Linares 1994).
Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials Wood
Used for props (Linares 1994, Carvajal et al. 2014). Used for construction (Valencia 2014).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Common Names

English
Peach Palm
Spanish
Cachipay, chenga, chontaduro, pipire, pupuña, palma chonta, palma de cachipay, chima, chonta, chonta de Castilla, macanilla, chichagua, pibijay, pejibaye, piba, bobi, melocotón, pirijao, pixabay.

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Palmweb - Palms of the World Online

    • Palmweb 2011. Palmweb: Palms of the World Online. Published on the internet http://www.palmweb.org. Accessed on 21/04/2013
    • Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/