Turu palm
Oenocarpus bataua var. oligocarpus

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm with a single trunk. It grows 26 m tall. The trunk is 30 cm across. There is a small group of slender roots at the base. There are 9-20 leaves. At the beginning they point upwards and then later spread out. They are 3-11 m long with 70-163 leaflets on each side. The flowering shoots are below the leaves and they hang down. The fruit are purple to black and narrowly oval. They are 3.5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. They have one seed.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in swampy areas that are occasionally flooded.

Countries/locations it is found in

Guianas, Guyana, South America, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The fruit are used to extract an edible oil. The fruit are used to make a drink. It has a chocolate flavour. The flesh of the fruit can be eaten after the hard shell is removed.

Fruit are sold at local markets. They are also commonly eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, palm heart, cabbage, oil

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Aricagua, Chocolate palm, Muhi, Palma de leche, Patawa, Yagua palm

Synonyms

Jessenia bataua subsp. oligocarpa (Griseb. & H. Wendl.) Balick; Oenocarpus oligocarpus (Griseb. & H. Wendl.) Wess.Boer; and others