Prestoea ensiformis
(Ruiz & Pav.) H.E.Moore
Arecaceae
Euterpe ensiformis (Ruiz & Pav.) Mart.
Martinezia ensiformis Ruiz & Pav.
Prestoea darienensis A.J.Hend.
Prestoea integrifolia de Nevers & A.J.Hend.
Prestoea sejuncta L.H.Bailey
Common Name:
General Information
Prestoea ensiformis is an evergreen palm growing 2.5 - 9 metres tall. The plant can produce a single or a small cluster, of unbranched stems,; these can be 3 - 13cm in diameter; they are topped by a crown of 5 - 12 leaves that can be up to 2.3 metres long[
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 plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
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 - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia; C. America - Panama, Costa Rica.
Habitat
Premontane or montane rain forest on mountain slopes at elevations from 350 - 1,800 metres[
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 |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Leaves - cooked[
]. The apical bud, often known as a 'palm heart', is eaten as a vegetable[
]. Eating this bud leads to the death of the individual stem since it is unable to form side shoots. However, where the plant forms a cluster of stems, it will often produce new stems to replace those that have been killed[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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.
