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Bactris sphaerocarpa

species of plant

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 10, 2026
Entity authorityQ15459936 ↗
Source-derived summary

Bactris sphaerocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is a shrub or palm tree with black prickles, nine to thirteen leaves, and black to purplish fruits. The species is native to Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

Bactris sphaerocarpa was described in 1877, and is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN.

Taxonomy

The species was described by James W. H. Trail in 1877.

Distribution

Bactris sphaerocarpa is native to the wet tropical biome of Colombia (Amazonas), Peru (Loreto and Madre de Dios), and north-west Brazil (Acre and Amazonas). It grows in lowland rainforests, at elevations of 150–400 metres (490–1,310 ft).

Description

Bactris sphaerocarpa is a shrub or palm tree. The stem is up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) high, and 0.8–1.5 centimetres (0.31–0.59 in) wide. The plant has black prickles that are up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long.

The plant has nine to thirteen leaves, which are pinnate, or have smooth edges.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Bactris sphaerocarpa” as species of plant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA sound reference starting point where classification, measurement and the date of the underlying evidence remain visible. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1877—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Bactris, sphaerocarpa and species can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of plant. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q15459936. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1877.

Critical limits

A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

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  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Bactris sphaerocarpa”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Bactris sphaerocarpa primary sources, Bactris sphaerocarpa archive and Bactris research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Bactris sphaerocarpa”?
  2. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
  3. Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Bactris sphaerocarpa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.