Chontilla
Astrocaryum huaimi

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm. It grows 10 m tall. It can have several stems in a clump. There are 6-13 leaves 3.5 cm long and these have 33-72 leaflets on each side. The flowering shoots are among the leaves and point upwards. There are 100-300 fruit in a group. The fruit are oval. They are 3-5 cm long.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on regularly flooded sandy soils. It suits cold hardiness zone 10b.

Countries/locations it is found in

Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, South America

How it is used for food

The fruit can be eaten fresh and also used for juice.

Edible parts

Seeds, seeds - oil, fruit, palm heart

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Tucuma-de-goias, Tucumanzeiro

Synonyms

Astrocaryum huaimi var. orbignii Drude; Astrocaryum leiospatha Barb.Rodr.; Astrocaryum leiospatha var. sabulosum Barb.Rodr.;