Cacando, Brazilian sand palm, Restinga palm, Seashore palm
Allagoptera arenaria

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A small clumping palm. It is about 4 m tall. It spreads 2-3 m wide. It has a branching underground trunk. The fronds are 1.2 m long. The fronds have leaflets along the stalk. They are dark green above and silvery underneath. The leaflets are irregularly arranged in groups in different planes. There are 2 or 3 in a cluster. They are somewhat curly. The flower stalk is 60 cm long and comes from a woody bract. The fruit are small and greenish-yellow. They are erect and look like corn on the cob. The fruit are 1-2 cm long. They are edible. Each fruit contains one seed.

This is a palm under threat of extinction. Plants should be cultivated before harvesting, not collected from the wild. There are 4 Allagoptera species.

Where it is found

It will tolerate extreme coastal exposure. A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows on the sand just above high tide mark in Brazil. It needs sandy soil and good light. It is salt tolerant. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Townsville palmetum.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Brazil (country/location of origin), South America

How it is used for food

The root is sweet and edible. The fruit are used for drinks.

The fruit are enjoyed.

Edible parts

Fruit, root

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Seeds are erratic to germinate. Seed take about 3 months to germinate. Plants can be grown from suckers.

Seedling growth is slow in the early stages.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Allagoptera littorale (Mart.) Kuntze; Allagoptera pumila Nees; Cocos arenaria Gomes; Diplothemium arenarium (Gomes) Vasc,; Diplothemium littorale Mart.; Diplothemium maritinum Mart.;