Manicaria

Manicaria (Common names Monkey Cap Palm or Bussu) is a palm genus which is found in Trinidad, Central and South America. It contains two accepted species:

1. Manicaria martiana Burret – Colombia, northwestern Brazil
2. Manicaria saccifera Gaertn. – Central America, Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, northwestern Brazil

It has one of the largest known leaves in the plant kingdom, up to 8 metres (26 ft) long. The very largest leaves can be 10.3 m (34 ft) total length, with 9 m (30 ft) being the blade or lamina and a stalk or petiole 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) long. The blade is up to 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) wide. It is an entire obovate pinnately veined leaf with marginal teeth.

Manicaria thrives in swamps or estuarine areas where river meets ocean. In the Tortuguero region of Costa Rica, where Manicaria saccifera is plentiful, local people know this palm as "Palma Real", or "Royal Palm". Its heavy, large leaves are valued over other palm species as the best material for roof thatching. Manicaria saccifera is an obligate swamp species, and as most other palms, it thrives in the wet, humid conditions of tropical lowland forests. Myers (1981) states "In the humid environments of the neo-tropics there is an increase in the abundance of understory palms" (24). Further to this, lowland forests generally have a higher density of palms than upland forests, and palms thrive better in poorly drained, wet soils than dry or well-drained soils. This particular palm can often be found mixed with Raphia palms in swamps and depressions.