Linear ruffle palm
Aiphanes linearis

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A clumping palm. The trunk can be 6 m high. It has long black spines which bend backwards. The fronds are about 2.5 m long. There can be 80 leaflets. The leaflets are narrow and rigid. They are 45 cm long by 3.5 cm across. They are clustered in groups of 2-4 along the stalk. The fruit have yellow hairs over them. The seeds are edible.

This is a palm under threat of extinction. Plants should be cultivated before harvesting, not collected from the wild. There are about 38 Aiphanes species. They grow in tropical America.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the high altitude rainforests at about 1800-2300 m altitude in Colombia.

Countries/locations it is found in

Colombia, South America

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chirca, Cirqui, Corocito de agua, Corozo de aguita, Chascaray, Chirca, Chonta

Synonyms

Aiphanes echinocarpa Dugand;