Palms   Butia yatay in Argentina

Local names:
Yatay,
Cocos yatay

Distribution & Habitat:
The habitat of B. yatay is located in all territory of the Province of Corrientes, South of the Province of Misiones, North of the Province of Entre Rios and a small area of the Province of Santa Fe. (see Figure 4)

Grows in large forest areas, in sandy soil and full sun. The biggest population occurs in the El Palmar National Park, near Colon city, Province of Entre Rios, and this populations is the south limit of the habitats at approximately 33°S of latitude.

In an small area in the north-east of the province of Santa Fe, B. yatay grows alongside Copernicia alba and Trithrinax campestris in a beautiful landscape of tall palms. In the central areas of the Province of Corrientes, it grows with Syagrus romanzoffiana and the cross pollination generates hybrid as Butyagrus ( B. yatay x S. romanzoffiana )

General:
Butia yatay has good tolerance to cold, approximately -9°C.

The species Butia capitata , from Uruguay and north of Brazil is very different of Butia yatay of Argentina. Both species have numerous differences in the trunk, fruit, seeds, leaves, and petioles.

Figure 1. B. yatay in the Province of Corrientes, Argentina.

Figure 2. B. yatay in cleared habitat by the Parana River, Lavalle, Corrientes province, Argentina.

Figure 3. Beautifull group of old man B. yatay .

Figure 4. The approximate locations of Butia yatay in Argentina.

Contributed by:	José Grassia (Text)
	Alberto Ferrari (Figure 1,2&3)

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