Shapaja
Attalea phalerata

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm. It grows 20-30 m high. The trunk is 60-70 cm across. The fronds arch over. The leaves are 5-7 m long. They have leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets are grouped in threes. They are alternate and 1-1.2 m long. The flowers are along a stalk which hangs down. The fruit are carried in clusters. The fruit are oval and 6-7 cm long by 4 cm wide. There can be 200-300 fruit on a stalk. The pulp is edible.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Bolivia it grows up to an altitude of 900 m. It cannot tolerate poorly drained soil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Amazon, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, South America, Trinidad, USA

How it is used for food

A cooking oil is extracted from the seeds. The fruit is edible, sweet and fibrous. A starch is extracted from it. The palm heart is cooked and eaten. The nut is eaten.

Fruit are sold.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds - oil, palm heart, cabbage, nuts, roots

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit can be used directly as seed. In humid conditions they remain viable for 60 days. The fresh fruit is planted. They may take a year to germinate.

Plants develop slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Acuri, Bacuri, Cachino, Choraja, Gindo, Mana'i, Manay, Maripa, Motacu, Mudji, N-uagle, Shapaja, Shebon, Uricuri, Urucuri, Urucurizeuro, Xebine

Synonyms

Attalea excelsa Mart. ex Spreng.; Attalea parviflora Barb. Rodr.; Attalea princeps Mart.; Scheelea amylacea Barb. Rodr.; Scheelea anisitsiana Barb. Rodr.; Scheelea corumbaensis (Barb. Rodr.) Barb.Rodr.; Scheelea lauromuelleriana Barb. Rodr.; Scheelea leandroana Barb.Rodr.; Scheelea martiana Burret; Scheelea microspadix Burret; Scheelea parviflora (Barb.Rodr.) Barb.Rodr.; Scheelea phalerata (Mart. ex Spreng.) Burret; Scheelea princeps (Mart.) H. Karst; Scheelea princeps var. corumbaensis Barb.Rodr.; Scheelea quadrisperma Barb. Rodr.; Scheelea quadrisulcata Barb. Rodr.; Scheelea weberbaueri Burret;