Common Name: Coyoli Palm

General Information

Acrocomia aculeata is a single-stemmed evergreen palm tree growing 10 - 15 metres tall. The thorny, unbranched stem can be 25 - 45cm in diameter, topped with a crown of leaves that can each be 3 - 5 metres long[, ].
The coyoli palm is often used by local people as a source of food and various materials[]. Normally gathered from the wild, the plant is also sometimes cultivated and is sometimes grown as an ornamental[]. The fruit is sometimes sold in local markets[]. It has been sold in large quantities as a food in Mexican markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean.

Habitat

Barren lands and semi-deciduous, open forest[]. Semideciduous forests, occurring in both dense primary and more open secondary formations, favouring fertile soils in valleys and on lower hill slopes[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of semi-arid to very moist lowland regions of the tropics, where it is usually found below an elevation of 1,000 metres[, ]. It grows best in areas where temperatures never fall below 10°c, preferring a mean annual temperature in the range 25 - 35°c, whilst tolerating 20 - 45°c[]. The mean annual rainfall it prefers is 1,000 - 2,000mm, though it can tolerate 500 - 3,000mm[]. The driest month has 25mm or more rain[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Requires a well-drained soil[]. Prefers a rich soil, though it also succeeds in poor soils[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, though it can tolerate from 5 - 7.5[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
A very slow-growing plant[].
Plants are fairly fire tolerant[].
A very variable plant, it has a plethora of synonyms.

Edible Uses

A starch can be obtained from the pith of the trunk and from the roots[, ].
The pith of the trunk can be fermented to produce an alcoholic drink[].
The juice of the fruit and the stem sap are made into wine, known as 'vino de coyol' in Spanish[].

Fruit - cooked[]. Rich in oil, it can be quite bitter[]. The yellowish pulp is fibrous, mucilaginous and slightly sweet[]. The sweet, pulpy portion of the fruit is eaten raw[]. Eaten in times of scarcity[].

Seed - roasted[]. About the size of a small walnut[].

A high quality oil can be obtained from the seed kernel[]. When refined it can be used for cooking[, ].

Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. The apical bud, known as a 'palm heart' is eaten[]. If the apical bud is removed, then the tree is condemned to a slow death since it is unable to produce side branches[].

Medicinal

The roots are used to make a medicinal tea[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

When growing wild, the plant is seen as an indicator of good, fertile soils[].

Other Uses

A useful twine can be obtained from the leaves by tearing strips of the desired width from the leaflets[].
A good quality fibre is obtained from the leaves. Very strong, it is used to make ropes and cordage[].

A high quality oil can be obtained from the seed kernel[]. It can be used for making soap[].
Another oil can be obtained from the pulp of the fruit[]. It is used for making soap[].

The very hard endocarp that encloses the seed can be cut into rings or carved and pierced for use as rosary beads[]. It is also used for making jewellery and buttons[].

The stem consists o a central pithy section surrounded by a ring of wood. This outer wood is moderately heavy, hard and very durable. It is used locally as beams and laths in rural constructions[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A low germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed taking more than a year to sprout[]. Some people scarify the seed and then soak it in water for as long as several weeks in order to get it to germinate[].

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