Allagoptera is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America consisting of 5 accepted species. Compared to other genera within the Cocoseae Allagoptera is described as particularly specialized.[1] The genus name is a Greek combination of "change" and "feather", describing the full leaf; it was formerly named Diplothemium.
Allagoptera produces very short or acaulescent trunks and in cases where the trunk grows erect it often makes a downward turn leaving the crown below the trunk-base. The trunks in Allagoptera are among the few in the palm family which tend to bifurcate, producing multiple heads per unit. The pinnate leaves are gently arching to 2 m and are carried on long, slender petioles which are adaxially channeled. The single-fold leaflets are regularly or irregularly arranged on the rachis each protruding into a different plane, creating a plumose leaf. The unusual spicate inflorescence emerges from within the leaf-crown carrying the pistilate flowers basally with the staminate flowers growing distally. The single-seeded fruit is yellow to brown, growing in crowded clusters.[2]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Allagoptera arenaria | Atlantic Coast of Brazil | |
| Allagoptera brevicalyx | Bahia, Brazil | |
| Allagoptera campestris | Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay. | |
| Allagoptera caudescens | Brazil | |
| Allagoptera leucocalyx | Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina | |
Palms in this genus are found in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina growing in a variety of habitats. Some thrive in sandy beaches and dunes, while others are found in woodlands; Allagoptera species are also common along sandstone hills and in the Cerrado vegetation.