Chonta
Aiphanes verrucosa
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A palm with many stems. There are about 6 per clump. They are 2-5 m tall. The trunks are 4-5 cm across. There are black spines in clusters. These are 8 cm long. There are 3-5 leaves arranged in one plane. These have 58-70 leaflets on each side. These are in clusters of 4-11. They are narrow and sword shaped with small spines along the edge. It has large flower clusters. The fruit are greenish-white and round and 2-3 cm across.
There are about 38 Aiphanes species. They grow in tropical America.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows between 1800 to 2800 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Andes, Ecuador (country/location of origin), South America
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten raw or poached.
Edible parts
Fruit, palm heart, cabbage