Piassaba
Leopoldinia piassaba
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
Piassaba, Leopoldinia piassaba, is a palm native to Brazil and Venezuela that grows about 4 or 5 m tall with a trunk diameter of 15 cm. Its crown is composed of 14 - 16 sword-shaped, yellow green leaves with each leaf measuring about 4-5 m long. The fruits are kidney shaped and flattened. The mesocarp of the fruits is eaten raw or made into a refreshing beverage. Piassaba is highly valued for its high quality and water resistant fibre which can be obtained from the leaf sheath. It is used to make ropes, brushes, brooms, and baskets among others.
Leopoldinia piassaba is an evergreen Tree growing to 10 m (32ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 10
Where it is found
Sandy soils near blackwater rivers and streams, rarely on white-water rivers.
Northern S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Colombia; Brazil, Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, South America, Venezuela,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The mesocarp of the fruits is eaten raw or made into a refreshing beverage. The thin flesh of the fruit, agitated with water, makes a popular local drink.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 4
Other
Rating: 0
Other Uses A fibre is obtained from the leaf sheath. Known as 'piassaba fibre', it is used for making heavy ropes, where it can take the place of manila hemp (Musa textilis). The fibre is also used for making brushes, brooms and baskets. The fibres resist rotting, even after long periods of immersion in water; the Brazilians used them to make cables to navigate the Amazon. They are also used for making rope, brooms, brushes and baskets. The foliar sheaths terminate in long (0.5 - 1.5 metres), pendulous fibres. The fibres at first appear as light brown ribbon-like strips, 2 - I0cm wide, that later split into dark brown to greyish brown individual fibres. These fibres persist and hang, entirely concealing the stem, and giving the tree a most curious and unique appearance. The leaves are used for thatch. The leaves resist rotting, even after long periods of being wet, and make a very resistant thatch. They are, therefore, the most sought after of the local palms. The nuts, which are a source of vegetable ivory, are encased in a hard, botryoidal shell which itself takes a nice polish. These shells are mostly 3 - 4cm in diameter and are 5 - 8cm long. The nuts are smaller and are loose in the shells. They have a fine delicate dark veining and are quite beautiful when turned or polished.
Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.
Broom: Used for sweeping the floor etc.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Polish: Plants used to give a shine to metals, wood etc.
String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.
Thatching: Used for making thatched roofs.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
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: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
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).
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
Not known
Propagating it: Seed -
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Piassaba, Piassabam Chiquechique, Chiquichiqui, Fibra, Piassabam Chiquechique, Chiquichiqui, Fibra,
Synonyms
No synonyms are recorded for this name.