Lepidocaryum
| Lepidocaryum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Calamoideae |
| Tribe: | Lepidocaryeae |
| Genus: | Lepidocaryum Mart. |
| Species: | L. tenue |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepidocaryum tenue Mart. | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Lepidocaryum is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family from South America where the lone species, Lepidocaryum tenue, is commonly called poktamui. Nine species names have been published, but palm taxonomists currently agree that just one variable species includes them all. The most reduced member of the Lepidocaryeae, it is similar in appearance to two closely related genera, Mauritia and Mauritiella, as well as to the former genus Lytocaryum (now included in Syagrus). The genus name combines the Greek words for "scale" and "nut" and the species epithet is Latin for "thin".