This species is closely related to Astrocaryum aculeatum, differing mainly in producing orange fruits on a cluster of trunks whilst Astrocareum aculeatum produces green fruits on a solitary trunk[].

Common Name: Tucuma

General Information

Astrocaryum vulgare is a multi-stemmed, spiny, evergreen, feather palm. It forms a small cluster of unbranched stems that can be 4 - 20 metres tall[, ]. The stems can be 10 - 20cm in diameter; they are covered in black spines that can be up to 22cm long; topped with a crown of 8 - 16, stiffly erect leaves that can be up to 6 metres long including the petiole[, , ].
The fruit is much appreciated within its native range and is commonly gathered from the wild[]. The plant is also often utilised by local people as a source of medicines, timber, oil and fibres. The plant is sometimes cultivated on a local scale in the Amazon in areas when it does not naturally grow[]. The fruits are often sold in local makets, and they have the potential for trading on a wider scale[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - northern Brazil and the Guyanas.

Habitat

Rainforest[]. Especially in disturbed sites[]. Found in the rainforest of the Amazon and the savannahs of Surinam on flat to gently rolling terrain[]. Occurs mainly on land that is not subject to periodic inundation[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropical lowlands, where it is found at elevations up to 150 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 28°c, but can tolerate 18 - 30°c[]. It can be killed by temperatures of 2°c or lower[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,300 - 1,800mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 3,000 mm[].
Requires a sunny, sheltered position[]. Seedlings require some shade, whilst larger palms thrive in full sun[]. Plants do not like dry conditions at their roots[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4 - 8[].
Plants regrow very vigorously from their roots after being cut down or after a fire. They are considered to be a serious weed species of pasture land[].
Young plants have a moderate rate of growth[].
Although usually spiny, occasional spineless forms exist in nature[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. Slightly sweet[]. A flavour similar to apricots[]. Used for making juices[]. The mesocarp is rich in provitamin A; it provides a fatty, mashed pulp that is used to prepare the very popular French Guianan dish 'bouillon d'awara', which is traditionally eaten at Easter time[]. The orange-red, globose to ovoid fruit is 35 - 45mm long and 25 - 35mm wide with a fleshy mesocarp covering a single large seed[].
After harvesting, the fruits are stored for 3 days in sacks to ripen and allow the pulp soften slightly. They must then be eaten within 3 - 4 days before they dry and rot where bruised[].
The immature endosperm gives a juice called vino de tucuma, used for a drink or in culinary preparations[].

An excellent oil, used for cooking, can be obtained from the fruits[, ]. Similar to coconut oil[, ].
The seed contains a hard white substance from which a fine edible fat can be extracted[]. The seed contains 30 - 50% oil[].
The fruits and seeds of various species in this genus are reported to be used for oil production in the Amazon region[]. 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[].

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

A wine is made from the fermented sap of the spathe[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is used to treat furunculosis and syphilis[].

The oil from the seed is laxative[]. It is used to treat rheumatism, pain and earache. It is used in a preparation for treating furuncles and is also swabbed onto aching feet and rubbed on feverish people to assist perspiration[].

The fruit can be utilized against the eye disease xerophthalmia (also called ophthalmoxerosis) of which the deficiency of vitamin A is the main reason[].
The whole fruit is used to calm colicky babies[].
The pulp of the fruit is used to treat coughs and as a breath freshener[].

Other Uses

An oil can be obtained from the fruits[]. It is used in soap making[, ].

A fine, soft, strong and durable fibre can be obtained from the unopened leaves[, ]. It is used for weaving and cordage[]. It is said to be the strongest fibre that can be produced in Amazonia and is widely used for making hammocks, ropes, bags, clothes etc[, , ]. The fibre is resistant to rot and damage and was therefore in use on sail- ships in the earlier centuries[].
A fibre can be extracted from the petiole after soaking it in water[].

The leaflets are used in making baskets[].

The shell of the kernel is used for making handicrafts such as rings, bracelets and collars[].

The oils extracted from the fruit and the seed are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations as emollients and skin conditioners[].

The wood is moderately heavy, very hard, strong and durable[, ]. It is used locally in making houses[]. The stems are used as poles for fences, corrals, and rural housing[].

Propagation

The seed is enclosed in a hard endocarp which makes germination slow and erratic[], and also has a short viability in storage[]. It may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. It is best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. A high germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed sprouting within 90 - 150 days[]. When the seedbed-sown seedlings are 5 - 8cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 6 - 9 months later[].

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