Bactris maraja
Mart.
Arecaceae
Bactris actinoneura Drude & Trail ex Drude
Bactris armata Barb.Rodr.
Bactris bella Burret
Bactris bijugata Burret
Bactris chaetochlamys Burret
Bactris chaetospatha Mart.
Bactris chloracantha Poepp.
Bactris chlorocarpa Burret
Bactris divisicupula L.H.Bailey
Bactris elatior Wallace
Bactris erostrata Burret
Bactris fuscospina L.H.Bailey
Bactris granariuscarpa Barb.Rodr.
Bactris gymnospatha Burret
Bactris incommoda Trail
Bactris juruensis Trail
Bactris kamarupa Steyerm.
Bactris krichana Barb.Rodr.
Bactris leptospadix Burret
Bactris leptotricha Burret
Bactris leucacantha Linden & H.Wendl.
Bactris longicuspis Burret
Bactris longisecta Burret
Bactris macrocarpa Wallace
Bactris microspadix Burret
Bactris monticola Barb.Rodr.
Bactris paucijuga Barb.Rodr.
Bactris penicillata Barb.Rodr.
Bactris piranga Trail
Bactris pulchella Burret
Bactris sanctae-paulae Engl.
Bactris sigmoidea Burret
Bactris sobralensis (Trail) Barb.Rodr.
Bactris sylvatica Barb.Rodr.
Bactris trichospatha Trail
Bactris umbraticola Barb.Rodr.
Bactris umbrosa Barb.Rodr.
Pyrenoglyphis leucacantha (Linden & H.Wendl.) Burret
Pyrenoglyphis maraja (Mart.) Burret
Common Name: Maraja
Fruit of the Maraja Palm hanging in a restaurant.
Photograph by: Dick Culbert
Fruit of the Maraja Palm hanging in a restaurant.
Photograph by: Dick Culbert
Developing fruits
Photograph by: Fabisho
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
Plant growing in Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
General Information
Bactris maraja is an evergreen palm with an underground creeping rhizome, growing up to 6 metres tall[
297- Title
- Palms of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Blombery. A. & Rodd. T.
- Publisher
- Angus and Robertson
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-207-14848-1
- Description
- An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
,
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
]. The plant forms a cluster of unbranched stems 3 - 6cm in diameter; each stem is covered in yellow or black spines up to 4cm long; and topped by a cluster of 5 - 10 leaves[
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
,
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 edible fruit is very popular within its native range, and is often found for sale[
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
]. The plant also provides a useful fibre.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
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 - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, north through Central America to Costa Rica.
Habitat
Dry land forests, or areas that are temporarily flooded[
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Plants succeed in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10°c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500mm or more and the driest month has 25mm or more rain[
297- Title
- Palms of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Blombery. A. & Rodd. T.
- Publisher
- Angus and Robertson
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-207-14848-1
- Description
- An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw[
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
,
592- Title
- Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Steyermark J.A. Et al
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1951 - 1957
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
]. The fruit has a thin, fibrous, succulent pulp with a pleasant, sweet flavour[
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
]. A pleasant, sweetish-acid flavour[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
,
592- Title
- Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Steyermark J.A. Et al
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1951 - 1957
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
]. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter[
416- Title
- Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S.
- Publisher
- Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil.
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
- 85-867174-24-0
- Description
- A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
A useful fibre is obtained from the leaves[
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The trunk of this palm is used locally by the Indian inhabitants for the terminal portion of the arrow[
592- Title
- Contributions to The Flora of Venezuela.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Steyermark J.A. Et al
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1951 - 1957
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent flora, though made at a time when botanical knowledge of the areas was still very lacking.
].
Propagation
Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow in containers. Germination takes 2 months or more[
297- Title
- Palms of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Blombery. A. & Rodd. T.
- Publisher
- Angus and Robertson
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-207-14848-1
- Description
- An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
]. The seed has a limited viability and needs to be sown as fresh as possible[
297- Title
- Palms of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Blombery. A. & Rodd. T.
- Publisher
- Angus and Robertson
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-207-14848-1
- Description
- An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
].
Division[
297- Title
- Palms of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Blombery. A. & Rodd. T.
- Publisher
- Angus and Robertson
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-207-14848-1
- Description
- An excellent guide, well illustrated, with information on cultivation, uses, habitat etc of almost 200 species of Palms.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
