Catole
Syagrus oleracea

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A tall palm. The trunk is 15-30 m tall. It is 30 cm across. The trunks are straight and almost white. The crown has arching fronds. It is full and round. The leaves are 3 m long. The leaflets occur in clusters. They have long pointed tips. They are 30 cm long. They grow at angles giving a V shape or feather shape. The fruit occur in clusters and are round. They are orange and 4.5 cm across.

There are about 30 Syagrus species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in woodland. It cannot tolerate cold or drought. It needs rich, well drained soil. It grows below 800 m altitude. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), China, Paraguay, South America

How it is used for food

The bitter palm heart is used in cooking. The fruit are edible raw. The nut is eaten.

The fruit are sold in markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, palm heart, cabbage, seeds, oil

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and can be used directly as seed. They are only viable for a short time. Seeds germinate after 2-4 months.

Plants grow at a moderate rate. It yields 3-4 kg of oil-rich kernels containing 50% oil.

Its other names

Local names

Catole, Coco-babao, Coco-catole, Coqueiro-guariroba, Coquiero-amargoso, Gariroba, Guariroba, Gueiroba, Gueroba, Iraiba, Palmito-amargoso

Synonyms

Calappa oleracea (Mart.) Kuntze; Cocos oleracea Mart.; Cocos oleracea var. platyphylla Drude; Syagrus oleracea var. platyphylla (Drude) Becc.; Syagrus gomesii Glassman;