Babasu oil palm
Attalea speciosa

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm. It grows 15-20 m high. The trunk is 40-50 cm across. The leaves are 7-10 m long. They are curved at the tip. The male flower sticks up among the leaves. It is 70-80 cm long. The female flower is larger. The fruit stalk is 1 m long. The fruit are oval and 8-10 cm long by 5-6 cm wide. They have a fibrous covering 1-4 mm thick.

There are between (22) 30-71 Attalea species. Some authorities divide them among Attalea, Orbignya, Scheela and Maximiliana.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands in hot tropical monsoonal climates. It grows in forest and open areas. It grows in areas with 1200 mm of rain per year. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. (As Orbigyna barbosiana). In Townsville palmetum.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, SE Asia, South America, Suriname, USA

How it is used for food

The kernel of the nut is used to extract an edible oil. The kernels are eaten as a snack. The watery contents are used as a drink. Sap from the stem produces a palm wine. The palm heart is eaten. Ashes from the burnt stem are used as a salt substitute. The flour is mixed with milk and sugar to produce a chocolate like drink.

It is a very important crop in Northern Brazil.

Edible parts

Oil, fruit, nuts, seeds, palm heart, cabbage, sap

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and can be sown directly as seed. The seed only remain viable for a short time. They sprout after 4-6 months.

The palms start to flower in the tenth year. They can live for 200 years. It produces 2-6 fruiting clusters each year. The kernel is 66% oil. In Bolivia there are an average of 182-211 trees per hectare. Fruit yields are 2456-2624 kg per hectare.

Its other names

Local names

Aguacu, Aguassu, American oil palm, Babacu palm, Babassu, Bauacu, Coco-de-macaco, Coco-naia, Coco-pindoba, Cusi, Cusino, Guaguaco, Guaguazu, Iba, Motacuchi, Palem minyak babasu, Uauacu, Xebinihua, Xeni

Synonyms

Attalea apoda Burret; Attalea camposportoana Burret; Attalea lydiae (Drude)Barb. Rodr.; Attalea pixuna Barb. Rodr.; Attalea spectabilis var. polyandra Drude; Orbignya barbosiana Burret; Orbignya huebneri Burret; Orbignya lydiae Drude; Orbignya macropetala Burret; Orbignya martiana Barb. Rodr.; Orbignya oleifera Burret; Orbignya phalerata Mart.; Orbignya pixuna (Barb.Rodr.)Barb.Rodr.; Orbignya speciosa (Mart.) Barb. Rodr., nom. illeg.;