Astrocaryum tucuma: the correct name of a socially and economically important Amazonian palm

Abstract

Tucumã is a palm of notable economic and cultural relevance in the Amazon region. Although its nomenclatural status is formally settled under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, its scientific name in the literature remains characterized by persistent misapplication. The name Astrocaryum aculeatum has been applied to this species for several decades, replacing A. tucuma, the previously accepted name. However, nearly twenty years ago, it was demonstrated that the type specimen of A. aculeatum corresponds to a distinct palm, A. gynacanthum. Considering this misapplied name, a proposal to conserve A. aculeatum with a conserved type for the tucumã was submitted in 2008, but subsequently not recommended by the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants in 2011. In the same report, this Committee suggested the reestablishment of A. tucuma as the correct name and the submission of a new proposal to deal with the names A. aculeatum and A. gynacanthum. These decisions were later evaluated and ratified by the General Committee in 2011. Despite these committees evaluations, a review of the literature from 2011 to 2025 indicates that the scientific community did not adopt the change suggested. The name A. aculeatum remains dominant for the tucumã palm, appearing 60 times more frequently than A. tucuma, which was identified in only 1.6% of the eligible records. This study elucidates the intricate nomenclatural history of the species and underscores the necessity of reaffirming A. tucuma as the correct name. The continued application of A. aculeatum to the tucumã palm, after the exhaustion of all procedures established by the Code, represents a persistent ambiguity that must be resolved to ensure nomenclatural stability and accuracy within the genus.