Common Name: Babassu

General Information

Attalea speciosa is a slow-growing, solitary-stemmed, evergreen feather palm growing from 20 - 30 metres tall[, ]. The unbranched stem can be 20 - 50cm in diameter, topped by a dense crown of 15 - 20 leaves that can each be 5 - 8 metres long[].
Babassu is an extremely important multi-purpose tree, producing food, medicines and a wide range of other materials for the local population. It is also a very important commercial oil producing crop in S. America. The plant is very widely harvested from wild and semi-managed plants and is also cultivated[, , ]. It is an excellent pioneer species for restoring native woodland and establishing woodland gardens, and is often planted within its native range as an ornamental in streets and parks[].

Known Hazards

The fine silicate crystals falling off the fruit can cause serious eye damage to the collectors[].

Botanical References

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Range

Northern and western S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, Surinam.

Habitat

Primary rainforest, usually becoming the dominant species[]. Lowland areas, sometimes forming thickets of thousands of plants in warm and damp areas[]. The plant also regenerates vigorously in open areas[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland humid tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 500 metres[], though it also succeeds in the subtropics and has some resistance to frost[]. It grows in areas where the annual rainfall is 1,200 - 2,500 mm with a 4 - 6 months dry season[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Soils range from well-drained upland soils to gallery forest, although in severely flooded areas it occurs in elevated, non-flooded areas[]. Prefers a deep well drained fertile soil[]. Plants can tolerate some drought[].
In a primary forest, seedlings require up to seven years to produce the first compound leaf and up to 42 years for other leaves. When cultivated without shade and in more favorable conditions, the plants can take just 10 years to mature[]..
The plant can regenerate very vigorously in open areas, so much so that it is considered to be an invasive weed in land that has been cleared for pasture[].
The palms begin to bear when 8 - 12 years old[].
The plant produces bunches of fruit that can be up to 1 metre long, weighing 14 - 90 kg[]. Each bunch contains from 100 - 600 fruits, with 200 fruits being the average[].
Wild groves can yield 1.5 - 2.5 tonnes per ha but, where the groves are thinned, yields range from 7 - 30 tonnes per ha with an average of 16 tonnes[]. Individual trees with 7 bunches, each bunch of 600 nuts and weighing up to 90 kg are known[].

Edible Uses

A good quality cooking oil is extracted from the seeds[, ]. It can be used to make a butter[].

Seeds - raw or cooked. They can be eaten as a snack or made into a nut milk[]. The ellipsoid seeds are up to 6cm long by 1 - 2cm wide, there are usually 3 - 6 seeds in each fruit[].
The nuts are extremely hard and difficult to crack[].

The watery endosperm from immature seeds is consumed as a drink[, ]. Very nourishing[].

A sap obtained from the stem is fermented to make palm wine[].

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 plant since it is unable to produce new shoots[, ].

Ashes from the burnt stem are used as a salt substitute[].

Babassu flour, mixed with milk and sugar, makes a chocolate-like drink[].

Medicinal

The leaves and liquid endosperm are used in local medicine[].

The seed kernel is used in liniments as a treatment for rheumatism[]. Ground into a powder and combined with sugar and water, it makes a refreshing and febrifuge emulsion[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Although somewhat slow growing, the plant can regenerate very vigorously in open areas, to the extent that it is considered to be a weed of pastures. This makes it an excellent species for restoring native woodland and, with its wide range of uses, it is also a very good species to use when establishing a woodland garden[, , ].

Other Uses

The leaves are commonly used for thatch and basketry[, ]. Young plants produce very large leaves before the stem is formed, and it is in this state that they are generally used for thatching. The unopened leaves from the centre are preferred since, though they require some preparation, they produce a more uniform thatch. The leaf is shaken until it falls partially open, and then each leaflet is torn at the base so as to remain hanging by its midrib only, which is, however, quite sufficient to secure it firmly. They thus hang all at right angles to the midrib of the leaf, which allows them to be laid in a very regular manner on the rafters[].

The leaf petioles are used for laths for windows and adobe walls[].

Decayed stems and leaves are used for mulch[].

The oil from the seed is excellent for soap production because of its high (45%) lauric acid content[]. It is also used for making candles[].
The oil from the seed is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient and skin conditioner[].

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

The epicarp (ca. 15% of the fruit) is a primary fuel source[].

The mesocarp (ca. 20% of the fruit) is a potential source of industrial starch, glucose or alcohol[].

The endocarp (ca. 59% of the fruit) is an important source of high grade charcoal for the steel industry as well as source of distillation by-products such as tar, acetic acid, methane, etc[]. It also has a potential use as a substrate for hydroponics[].

Nut waste is also used locally as a fuel for cooking and to repel insects[].

The wood is moderately heavy, soft and of low durability if exposed to the elements[]. It is used for construction purposes in rustic buildings[, ].

Propagation

Seed - when stored in the shell, the seed can have a long viability of several years[]. Fire or heat may be necessary to break dormancy[]. Separate kernels may germinate within a few months[]. Early growth is slow, concentrating initially on an extensive root system and consequently requiring large bags if grown in a nursery[].

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?