Babassu, American Oil Palm, Motacu, Motacuchi
Attalea speciosa

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

An important crop in Northern Brazil for its wide range of uses, Babassu or Attalea speciosa is a monoecious, evergreen feather palm of up to 15-20 m tall with a trunk diameter of 40-50 cm. It has a dense crown composed of 15-20 large leaves. Babassu seed kernel is used as treatment for rheumatism and fever. Oil obtained from the seeds is used as cooking oil and for making butter. It is also used in making soap and candle. The seeds itself can also be eaten either raw or cooked; the endosperm of immature seeds is consumed as a drink. The stem yields a sap which is fermented into palm wine. The apical bud is edible as well. The leaves are used as thatch. As for the fruit, the epicarp is a primary source of fuel; the mesocarp is a potential source of industrial starch, glucose, or alcohol; and the endocarp is used as charcoal and as a substrate for hydroponics. The wood is used as construction material. Though babassu is relatively a slow-growing palm, it can still be used as a pioneer species when restoring native woodland and establishing a woodland garden. It also functions as an ornamental tree. Other names: Babacu palm, Cusi, Guaguazu, Cusino, Iba.

Attalea speciosa is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Primary rainforest, usually becoming the dominant species. Lowland areas, sometimes forming thickets of thousands of plants in warm and damp areas. The plant also regenerates vigorously in open areas.

Northern and western S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, Surinam.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

Found In: Amazon, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Guiana, Guyana, South America, Suriname, USA. It is a very important crop in Northern Brazil.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Edible portion: Oil, Fruit, Nuts, Palm heart, Cabbage, Sap. A good quality cooking oil is extracted from the seeds . It can be used to make a butter. Seeds - raw or cooked. They can be eaten as a snack or made into a nut milk. The ellipsoid seeds are up to 6cm long by 1 - 2cm wide, there are usually 3 - 6 seeds in each fruit. The nuts are extremely hard and difficult to crack. The watery endosperm from immature seeds is consumed as a drink. Very nourishing. A sap obtained from the stem is fermented to make palm wine. The apical bud is used as a food. Harvesting this bud will effectively lead to the death of the trunk because it is unable to make side branches. Ashes from the burnt stem are used as a salt substitute. Babassu flour, mixed with milk and sugar, makes a chocolate-like drink.

Oil: Oil

Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Milk: made from plants, that is.

Salt: plants that provide a substitute for salt.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The leaves and liquid endosperm are used in local medicine. The seed kernel is used in liniments as a treatment for rheumatism. Ground into a powder and combined with sugar and water, it makes a refreshing and febrifuge emulsion.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Plaster: Used in the treatment of broken bones.

Other

Rating: 5

Other uses rating: Very High (5/5). Agroforestry Uses: Although somewhat slow growing, the plant can regenerate very vigorously in open areas, to the extent that it is considered to be a weed of pastures. This makes it an excellent species for restoring native woodland and, with its wide range of uses, it is also a very good species to use when establishing a woodland garden. Other Uses The leaves are commonly used for thatch and basketry. Young plants produce very large leaves before the stem is formed, and it is in this state that they are generally used for thatching. The unopened leaves from the centre are preferred since, though they require some preparation, they produce a more uniform thatch. The leaf is shaken until it falls partially open, and then each leaflet is torn at the base so as to remain hanging by its midrib only, which is, however, quite sufficient to secure it firmly. They thus hang all at right angles to the midrib of the leaf, which allows them to be laid in a very regular manner on the rafters. The leaf petioles are used for laths for windows and adobe walls. Decayed stems and leaves are used for mulch. The oil from the seed is excellent for soap production because of its high (45%) lauric acid content. It is also used for making candles. The epicarp (ca. 15% of the fruit) is a primary fuel source. The mesocarp (ca. 20% of the fruit) is a potential source of industrial starch, glucose or alcohol. The endocarp (ca. 59% of the fruit) is an important source of high grade charcoal for the steel industry as well as source of distillation by-products such as tar, acetic acid, methane, etc. It also has a potential use as a substrate for hydroponics. Nut waste is also used locally as a fuel for cooking and to repel insects. The wood is moderately heavy, soft and of low durability if exposed to the elements. It is used for construction purposes in rustic buildings.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Insecticide: Kills insects.

Lighting: Plants that can be used as torches etc. See also Oil and Wax.

Mulch: Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Pioneer: Plants, usually trees and shrubs, that can be used to reforest land.

Plaster: Used for covering walls.

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

Thatching: Used for making thatched roofs.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Industrial Crop: Oil: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, biomass, glycerin, soaps, lubricants, paints, biodiesel. Oilseed crop types.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Industrial Crop: Oil: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, biomass, glycerin, soaps, lubricants, paints, biodiesel. Oilseed crop types.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

A plant of the lowland humid tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 500 metres, though it also succeeds in the subtropics and has some resistance to frost. It grows in areas where the annual rainfall is 1,200 - 2,500 mm with a 4 - 6 months dry season. Requires a sunny position. Soils range from well-drained upland soils to gallery forest, although in severely flooded areas it occurs in elevated, non-flooded areas. Prefers a deep well drained fertile soil. Plants can tolerate some drought. In a primary forest, seedlings require up to seven years to produce the first compound leaf and up to 42 years for other leaves. When cultivated without shade and in more favorable conditions, the plants can take just 10 years to mature.. The plant can regenerate very vigorously in open areas, so much so that it is considered to be an invasive weed in land that has been cleared for pasture. The palms begin to bear when 8 - 12 years old. The plant produces bunches of fruit that can be up to 1 metre long, weighing 14 - 90 kg. Each bunch contains from 100 - 600 fruits, with 200 fruits being the average. Wild groves can yield 1.5 - 2.5 tonnes per ha but, where the groves are thinned, yields range from 7 - 30 tonnes per ha with an average of 16 tonnes. Individual trees with 7 bunches, each bunch of 600 nuts and weighing up to 90 kg are known.

Propagating it: Seed - when stored in the shell, the seed can have a long viability of several years. Fire or heat may be necessary to break dormancy. Separate kernels may germinate within a few months. Early growth is slow, concentrating initially on an extensive root system and consequently requiring large bags if grown in a nursery.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The fine silicate crystals falling off the fruit can cause serious eye damage to the collectors.

May be weedy

Its other names

Local names

Babacu palm, Cusi, Guaguazu, Cusino, Iba.

Synonyms

Attalea glassmanii Zona Attalea lydiae (Drude) Barb.Rodr. Heptantra phalerata (Mart.) O.F.Cook Orbig

Babassu, American Oil Palm, Motacu, Motacuchi Attalea speciosa