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Useful Tropical Plants

Aiphanes grandis

Borchs. & Balslev

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

Aiphanes grandis
Crown of flowering plant
Photograph by: AAU palm archive'
Image credit to Palmweb

General Information

Aiphanes grandis is a solitary-stemmed evergreen palm tree growing up to 20 metres tall. The unbranched stem can be 10 - 20cm in diameter, topped with a crown of leaves that can each be up to 250cm long. Both the stem and the leaves are fiercely armed with long, black spines[
764
Title
IUCN Spec ies Survival Commission - Palm Specialist Group
Publication
Species Fact Sheets
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/who_we_are/ssc_specialist_groups_and_red_list_authorities_directory/plants/palm_sg/psg_sp_index.cfm#Geonoma_epetiolata_block
Publisher
IUCN
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fairly comprehensive fact sheets on some 28 species of Palms that are under threat in the wild. They can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Endemic to Ecuador, this species is only known from four isolated subpopulations in the Andes. It is under threat from habitat destruction and its population is decreasing. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

764
Title
IUCN Spec ies Survival Commission - Palm Specialist Group
Publication
Species Fact Sheets
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/who_we_are/ssc_specialist_groups_and_red_list_authorities_directory/plants/palm_sg/psg_sp_index.cfm#Geonoma_epetiolata_block
Publisher
IUCN
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fairly comprehensive fact sheets on some 28 species of Palms that are under threat in the wild. They can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

S. America - Ecuador.

Habitat

Forests and cloud forests in the Andes at elevations from 1,000 - 3,000 metres[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
,
764
Title
IUCN Spec ies Survival Commission - Palm Specialist Group
Publication
Species Fact Sheets
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/who_we_are/ssc_specialist_groups_and_red_list_authorities_directory/plants/palm_sg/psg_sp_index.cfm#Geonoma_epetiolata_block
Publisher
IUCN
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fairly comprehensive fact sheets on some 28 species of Palms that are under threat in the wild. They can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusEndangered
Edibility Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height15.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The tree is often left over when the forest is converted into pasture, but as with other palm species, it is unable to regenerate in a tall grass-dominated vegetation.Furthermore, local farmers may object to its presence due to the fiercely armed stem and leaves that constitute a problem to grazing cattle and hence try to eradicate it from their pasture fields[
764
Title
IUCN Spec ies Survival Commission - Palm Specialist Group
Publication
Species Fact Sheets
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/who_we_are/ssc_specialist_groups_and_red_list_authorities_directory/plants/palm_sg/psg_sp_index.cfm#Geonoma_epetiolata_block
Publisher
IUCN
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fairly comprehensive fact sheets on some 28 species of Palms that are under threat in the wild. They can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[
763
Title
Heart of Palm Use: A Family Survey
Publication
 
Author
Scott Zona, Ph.D.
Website
http://www.virtualherbarium.org/palmresearch/Hearts_of_Palm_table.html
Publisher
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Virtual Herbarium.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line article listing the botanical names and range of palm trees that have an edible apical bud.
]. The apical bud, known as a 'palm heart' is eaten as a vegetable[
763
Title
Heart of Palm Use: A Family Survey
Publication
 
Author
Scott Zona, Ph.D.
Website
http://www.virtualherbarium.org/palmresearch/Hearts_of_Palm_table.html
Publisher
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Virtual Herbarium.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line article listing the botanical names and range of palm trees that have an edible apical bud.
]. Harvesting this bud leads to the death of the stem (and in single-stemmed palm trees, to the death of the plant) since it is unable to make side shoots[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

The seeds are sometimes pureed and cooked with crude cane sugar to form a nougat-like paste[
764
Title
IUCN Spec ies Survival Commission - Palm Specialist Group
Publication
Species Fact Sheets
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/who_we_are/ssc_specialist_groups_and_red_list_authorities_directory/plants/palm_sg/psg_sp_index.cfm#Geonoma_epetiolata_block
Publisher
IUCN
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fairly comprehensive fact sheets on some 28 species of Palms that are under threat in the wild. They can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in a semi-shaded position[
768
Title
Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas
Publication
 
Author
Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R.
Publisher
Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey.
Year
1995
ISBN
0-691-08537-4
Description
An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Aiphanes+grandis>

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