Common Name:

General Information

Astrocaryum chambira is an evergreen, single-stemmed palm tree growing from 3.5 - 30 metres tall. The unbranched stem is covered in black spines that are up to 20cm long; it can be 19 - 35cm in diameter and is crowned by a rosette of 9 - 16 erect leaves that can each be 5 metres or more long[].
The tree is commonly harvested for local use, especially for its fibre, but also for its edible apical bud and medicinal uses. It is often planted because of its useful properties[]. This species has become a locally significant resource for the fibre extracted from its leaves - by-products (especially bags and hammocks) are marketed through the craft industry network at both regional and national level in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru[].
The fibre is used traditionally to make many items, especially hammocks. Mature trees are often cut down in order to gather the fibre, which kills the tree, and since a single large hammock may require as many as twenty trees, this tree is one of the resources that may become scarce if a village remains in one area for a long time[]..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela.

Habitat

Found in low densities in lowland rain forests, on land not subject to inundation, much more commonly in disturbed and deforested areas[, ]. The plant is also found on periodically flooded alluvial soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The palm heart (the inner core and growing bud of the plant) is eaten[]. It provides a crispy food, rich in nutrients, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Eating this bud leads to the death of the plant because it is unable to produce side-shoots[].

Both lhe immature liquid endosperm and the mature solid endosperm are drunk or eaten in the same way as coconuts[, ]
Fruit - raw. Both the mature and the immature fruits are eaten[]. The fruit (or mesocarp) of this species is fibrous, not fleshy[], so this report is presumably referring to the developing seed (endosperm) which in several members of this genus is drunk when it is still liquid[].

We have no specific information for this species, but the fruits and seeds of various species in this genus are reported to be used for oil production in the Amazon region[]. Existing analyses of fruit fat content show a relatively homogeneous composition among the different species, with around. 20% of fat content in the mesocarp, mostly composed of oleic and palm itic acids, and 20 - 35% of fat content in the endosperm, with a predominance of lauric acid[].

Medicinal

The fruits are used to treat erysipelas[].
The fruit pulp is said to be antihelminthic[].
The liquid endosperm is drunk to cleanse internal organs, especially the kidneys and liver, and to reduce fevers[].

The oil extracted from the seed to cure boils and toothache[].

Extracts from the roots have been shown to have an effect on hepatitis, malaria and yellow fever[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is a natural pioneer species, being often found growing in dense populations on deforested land[]. It has potential for use as a pioneer species when restoring native forests[].

Other Uses

The fibres obtained from the youngest, unexpanded leaves are commonly used to weave a variety of items, especially hammocks, nets, necklaces and bags[, ]. The fibre can be used as a floss to clean the teeth[].

The hard endocarp of various Amazonian species is commonly used to make beads and ornaments for necklaces[]

Propagation

Seed -

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