This species is closely related to, and perhaps not distinct from, Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.[].

Common Name:

General Information

Astrocaryum huaimi is an evergreen, usually clump-forming palm, producing several unbranched stems 4 - 8 metres tall and 5 - 15cm in diameter. The stems are topped by a crown of 6 - 12 erect leaves each up to 350cm long. The trunks and leaf stems are covered with black thorns[, ].
The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is sold in local markets and is considered to have potential for cultivation. There are a few, small commercial plantations existing in Brazil[]

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - west central Brazil, Bolivia, Peru

Habitat

Banks of rivers and streams and also on sandy soils[]. Forest islands in savannahs or deciduous forests; at low elevations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. It can be eaten straight from the plant, and is also used to make juices, ice cream, jellies, wines and vinegar[]. The greenish to orange, globose fruits are around 2 - 3cm in diameter and 3 - 5cm long, individual fruits weighing around 25g[]
The fruit is produced in clusters of between 100 - 300 fruits[].

The palm heart (the inner core and growing bud of the plant) is harvested from various species in this genus[]. It provides a crispy food, rich in nutrients, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Harvesting the heart will lead to the death of the stem it was harvested from, though in multi-stemmed plants such as this the rest of the plant will continue to grow and often produce new stems.

We have no specific information for this species, but the fruits and seeds of various species are reported to be used for oil production in the Amazon region. Existing analyses of fruit fat content show a relatively homogeneous composition among species, with around 20% of fat content in the mesocarp, mostly composed of oleic and palmitic acids, and 20-35% of fat content in the endosperm, with a predominance of lauric acid[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre from the leaves can be used for making, ropes, twine, nets and bags[]. The fibre is long and very strong[].
The most recent discovery is that the leaves have two types of fibres, one of which is very similar to bamboo fibres, and due to their high interlacing, they can provide papers with high tear resistance and greater porosity. However, the fibers as a whole do nnt meet the requirements of the morphological characteristics of high quality paper fibers, and can be used in the production of Kraft paper, with high levels of physical and mechanical resistance[]

The leaves are used as a weaving material for making hats and other items[].

The hard endocarp of various Amazonian species is commonly used to make beads and ornaments for necklaces[]

The stem is used for the construction of pillars and posts for houses and posts and slats for fences[]

Propagation

Seed -

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