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Useful Tropical Plants

Astrocaryum huicungo

Dammer ex Burret

Arecaceae


In some recent treatments this species is seen as no more than a variety of Astrocaryum murumuru, as Astrocaryum murumuru huicungo (Dammer ex Burret) A.J.Hend.[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Astrocaryum murumuru huicungo (Dammer ex Burret) A.J.Hend.

Common Name:

Astrocaryum huicungo
Inflorescence
Photograph by: Jean-Christophe Pintaud'
Image credit to Palmweb

General Information

Astrocaryum huicungo is a spiny, multi-stemmed, evergreen palm with short, mainly subterranean stems that in time can become 2 metres tall and 15-18cm in diameter. Each stem is topped by a crown of 8 - 15 leaves that can be up to 7 metres long including the petiole[
434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
,
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.
,
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

434
Title
Flora of Peru
Publication
 
Author
Macbride. J.F.
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History
Year
1936
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
,
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.

Range

S. America - northern Peru.

Habitat

Lowland rainforest, usually along river margins or other periodically inundated areas[
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.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The palm heart (the inner core and growing bud of the plant) is harvested[
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.
]. 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.

Fruit - raw[
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.
]. A fleshy pulp[
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.
]. The tawny, obovoid fruit can be 65 - 75mm long and 37 - 44mm wide, with an orange, fleshy mesocarp surrounding a single, large seed[
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.
,
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The liquid endosperm (developing seed) of the unripe fruits is drunk[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
,
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

We have no specific information for this species, but the fruits and seeds of various species in this genus are reported to be used for oil production in the Amazon region[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
]. Existing analyses of fruit fat content show a relatively homogeneous composition among the different species, with around. 20% of fat content in the mesocarp, mostly composed of oleic and palm itic acids, and 20 - 35% of fat content in the endosperm, with a predominance of lauric acid[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is a natural pioneer species that can become very abundant in secondary forest and pastures[
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. It can be used in reforestation schemes within its natural range for restoring forests[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Other Uses

The leaves and stems are sometimes used in the construction of traditional houses[
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.
].

The hard endocarp of various Amazonian species is commonly used to make beads and ornaments for necklaces[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
]

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Astrocaryum+huicungo>

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