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Useful Tropical Plants

Astrocaryum carnosum

F.Kahn & B.Millán

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name: Huicungo

No Image.

General Information

Astrocaryum carnosum is a spiny, multi-stemmed evergreen palm with short or underground stems that in time can reach a height of 2 metres and 18cm in diameter. Each stem has a crown of 8 - 12 large leaves that can be up to 7 metres tall including the petiole[
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
]
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Astrocaryum carnosum has a restricted range, being known only from a few locations in the upper Huallaga Valley in Peru. The habitat in which this species resides is being threatened and lost by deforestation for agriculture. However, the species is very resilient to habitat transformation because of its clustering habit and underground suckering.The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

S. America - central Peru

Habitat

Seasonal swamp forest and forests on alluvial soils, usually dominating the understorey in combination with other palm species[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusVulnerable
Edibility Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Astrocaryum carnosum is native to the moist tropics, growing in a region where the mean annual rainfall is around 3,000mm with a peak from December to March and a dry period from June to August. The average annual temperature is 26°c[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
]. The fleshy mesocarp is more or less sweet and edible[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
]. The brown, turbinate fruit is around 66 - 74mm long and 35 - 42mm wide with a fleshy, orange mesocarp around 4mm thick enclosing a single, large seed[
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The liquid endosperm of the unripe fruit is drunk[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
,
1874
Title
Astrocaryum (Palmae) in Amazonia. A Preliminary Treatment
Publication
Bull. Inst. Fr. Études Andines 1992, 21 (2): 459-531
Author
Kahn F. & Millán B.
Publisher
 
Year
1992
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

We have no specific information for this species, but the fruits and seeds of various species are reported to be used for oil production in the Amazon region. Existing analyses of fruit fat content show a relatively homogeneous composition among species, with around 20% of fat content in the mesocarp, mostly composed of oleic and palmitic acids, and 20-35% of fat content in the endosperm, with a predominance of lauric acid[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The hard endocarp of various Amazonian species is commonly used to make beads and ornaments for necklaces[
1869
Title
The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)
Publication
Rev. peru. biol. 15(supl. 1): 031- 048 (Noviembre 2008)
Author
Kahn F.
Publisher
 
Year
2008
ISBN
1727-9933
Description
 
]

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Astrocaryum+carnosum>

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