These palms exhibit much variability in both their native homeland as well as in cultivated specimens.
Many of these variable forms were originally described as distinct species.
Odoardo Beccari subsumed these as varieties of Butia capitata in 1916.
Modern botany would consider these variations to be cultivars or landraces.

B. capitata var.
odorata [1891] - nominate form, yellow fruit.

B. capitata var.
elegantissima, C. elegantissima [1906]
B. capitata var.
erythrospatha, C. erythrospatha [1906] - red-coloured spathes
B. capitata var.
lilaceiflora, C. lilaceiflora [1906]
B. capitata var.
nehrlingiana [1936]
B. capitata var.
pulposa [1891] - much larger fruit (see illustration), often in local cultivation in Brazil and Uruguay.

B. capitata var.
rubra [1977] - red fruit, described from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, but forms with this colour fruit also occur in Uruguay.

B. capitata var.
strictior [1936] - cultivated in USA, leaves lacking typical arch except at the very end of the leaf, thus standing almost vertical from the crown.

B. capitata var.
subglobosa [1916]
B. capitata var.
virescens [1916]
glaucous blue leaves described by Soares & Witeck [2009].

Difference in seed shape from northern vs. southern populations.
These palms exhibit much variability in both their native homeland as well as in cultivated specimens. Many of these variable forms were originally described as distinct species. Odoardo Beccari subsumed these as varieties of Butia capitata in 1916. Modern botany would consider these variations to be cultivars or landraces.
B. capitata var. odorata [1891] - nominate form, yellow fruit.
B. capitata var. elegantissima, C. elegantissima [1906]
B. capitata var. erythrospatha, C. erythrospatha [1906] - red-coloured spathes
B. capitata var. lilaceiflora, C. lilaceiflora [1906]
B. capitata var. nehrlingiana [1936]
B. capitata var. pulposa [1891] - much larger fruit (see illustration), often in local cultivation in Brazil and Uruguay.
B. capitata var. rubra [1977] - red fruit, described from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, but forms with this colour fruit also occur in Uruguay.
B. capitata var. strictior [1936] - cultivated in USA, leaves lacking typical arch except at the very end of the leaf, thus standing almost vertical from the crown.
B. capitata var. subglobosa [1916]
B. capitata var. virescens [1916]
glaucous blue leaves described by Soares & Witeck [2009].
Difference in seed shape from northern vs. southern populations.
Butia odorata