Iriartea deltoidea (Barrigona Palm)

Native from Central America into tropical South America, this tall, solitary palm has a smooth gray trunk that often swells in its middle portion. A dense cone of dark stilt roots supports the base. Large pinnate leaves have stiff, asymmetrical leaflets with ragged tips; mature leaflets may split into numerous narrow segments. A green crownshaft tops the trunk. Horn-shaped flower buds develop below the crownshaft and open into long, hanging inflorescences. Rounded greenish yellow fruits follow the small flowers. The palm grows in moist tropical forests. Photographed in Colombia.