Mountain cabbage palm
Euterpe precatoria

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A slim solitary palm. The trunk can be 15-20 m tall. The trunk is 20-25 cm across. There are rings on the trunk. There are 8-13 leaves. The leaves hang down. The leaves are 3-3.5 m long. There are leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets hang down. The leaflets are 30-40 cm long and without leaflet stalks. The flowering stalk grows below the crown-shaft. The fruit are produced in large numbers. The fruit are round and 1.3 cm across. They are dark purple when ripe. The seed is 1 cm across. There are at least 2 varieties.

There are between 7 and 18 Euterpe species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in north of South America from sea level to 2000 m altitude. It grows in wet forests and along rivers. It can grow in swamps and areas than are occasionally flooded. In Ecuador it grows between 900-1,300 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Belize, Bolivia (country/location of origin), Brazil (country/location of origin), Central America, Colombia (country/location of origin), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The palm heart is edible. The fruit are used for drinks. The seeds yields an edible oil.

The juice as 'assai wine' is popular. The fruit are sold in local markets. Also the palm hearts. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Palm heart, fruit, cabbage, seeds- oil, flower

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are small and should be planted when fresh.

Its other names

Local names

Abua, Acaf, Acai, Acai-do-amazonas, Acai solteiro, Asaf, Asahi, Asai, Asai de la selva, Baboen-pina, Big manicole, Chonta, Dudiba, Huasai, Huasi, Imibi ni, Jene, Maimasi, Manaca, Midra, Monkimonki-pina, Murrapo, Palmiche, Palmito, Palmo real, Pana, Panane, Reho, Warunamsebe, Wassai, Winamoro

Synonyms

Catis stenophylla Trail ex Thurn.; Euterpe jatapuensis Barb. Rodr.; Euterpe langloisii Burret; Euterpe petiolata Burret; Euterpe subruminata Burret;