Pati, Patioba
Syagrus botryophora

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A solitary palm. They are 6-18 m tall. The trunks are 15-25 cm across. There are 10-15 leaves. they are 3 m long. They arch over. There are 100-150 leaflets on each side of the leaf. The leaflets are rigid and point upwards forming a V shape. They are regularly arranged. The flowering stalks are woody. They are very thick and deeply grooved. There are 30-50 flowering branches. The fruit are oval. They are 3.5-4.5 cm long and 2.2-2.5 cm wide. They are white to yellow.

There are about 32 Syagrus species. They grow in South America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow in lowland rainforest on clayey soils. They grow below 400 m altitude. It grows in coastal areas.

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil, South America

How it is used for food

The seeds are rich in edible oil. The palm hearts are bitter until treated.

Edible parts

Seeds - oil, palm hearts, cabbage

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Arecastrum romanzoffianum var. botryophora (Mart.) Becc.; Cocos botryophora Mart.;