ISHS Acta Horticulturae 486: II International Symposium on Ornamental Palms & other Monocots from the Tropics
COYOL PALM (ACROCOMIA MEXICANA), A PHYTOGENETIC RESOURCE FROM CHIAPAS, MEXICO |
| Authors: | J.L. Zuart-Macías, P. Ponce-Díaz, G. Santiago-Marroquín, R. Quiroga-Madrigal |
| Keywords: | palm disease, Pestalotia sp., taberna, palm heart, useful palms |
| Abstract:
The palm Acrocomia mexicana Kar. ex Mart. is widely distributed in Mexico and Central America. It is known as a coyol in Chiapas, Mexico, where people make use of its sap, flowers, fruits, and bud or heart. In spite of long-time adequate management of natural populations by local people, in the last few years a continuous decrease in the number of individuals was observed, presumably due to two causes. First, low germination rate of the seeds, and second, a new, rapidly spreading disease which produces the death of a great number of palms in the area. The disease affects approximately 50 % of individuals in the studied population and causes death mainly of adult trees. A yellowish color begins in the apex of the old leaves and progresses toward the apical bud. Finally there are no young leaves and the palm dies. The number of healthy leaves decreases during the rainy months. In an attempt to know the causal agent, we found a possibly new species of Pestalotia, always associated with diseased palms and growing in the leaf rachis. In this preliminary study, we have tried to evaluate the problem and extend information about it. | |
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