Colenda attalea, Palma real
Attalea colenda

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A large palm. It grows to 30 m tall. The trunk is thick. It is 30-50 cm across. There are 15-25 leaves. The leaves are long and upright and divided into leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets are regularly arranged and spread in the same plane. The flowering stalk is borne among the leaves. The fruits are large and oily. They are oval and 6 cm long. They hang down among the leaves. The fruit clusters are orange but turn pale brown when ripe. They are carrot shaped. They are 6 cm long.

There are between (22) 30-71 Attalea species. Some authorities divide them among Attalea, Orbignya, Scheela and Maximiliana.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It normally grows between 400-500 m altitude in Ecuador. It can grow up to 1300 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andes, Colombia, Ecuador, South America

How it is used for food

Oil can be extracted from the seeds.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds - oil, palm heart

How it is grown

The seeds are large and slow and erratic to germinate.

Seedling grown is quite fast.

Its other names

Local names

Canambo, Chivila, Ullachi, Uyaachi

Synonyms

Ynesa colenda O. F. Cook;