ANÁLISIS FITOLÍTICOS DE LAS PRINCIPALES ESPECIES DE PALMERAS (ARECACEAE) PRESENTES EN REGIONES SUBTROPICALES DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR.

Phytolith analyses of the main palm species (Arecaceae) present in subtropical regions of South America. The South American continent has become one of the largest centers of richness and diversity of the Arecaceae family. The palms are characterized by the presence of opal phytoliths, called stegmatas, with particular characteristics that identify many of the members of this family. The aim of this paper is to describe the phytolith assemblages of the palm species and search the diagnostic power through a biometric analysis performed to globular phytoliths. The results stated that the analysis of leaf phytolith assemblages shows variations that distinguish the different subfamilies selected. This raises its importance in the interpretation of fossil phytolith assemblages and palaeobotanical recognition of the members of this family by palaeoenvironmental study of sedimentary sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]