Chamaedorea parvifolia
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A palm. It has a single stem. It grows 2 m tall and the trunk is 1.5 cm wide. It forms flowers when the stem hasn't yet formed. There are 5-8 leaves with leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 35 cm long and there are 4-5 leaflets on each side. They are narrowly sword shaped and 16 cm long by 2.5-2.8 cm wide. The flowering stalk is erect with 3-5 flowering branches. The fruit are small and round.
There are about 100 Chamaedorea species. They are mostly in Central America. There are 77 species in tropical America.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in mountain forest at 1500-1700 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Central America, Costa Rica
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Young flowers