Common Name:

General Information

Astrocaryum ciliatum is an evergreen, usually stemless palm though in older specimens an unbranched stem up to 5 metres tall can develop. It produces a single rosette of 7 - 12, large, erect leaves around 6 metres tall including the petiole[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and possibly also as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - northwest Brazil, northern Peru, southeast Colombia

Habitat

An understorey plant in terra firme forest; at elevations from 100 - 300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The liquid endosperm of the unripe fruits is drunk[]. The brown-red, pear-shaped fruit is 46 - 52mm long and 26 - 30mm wide with a fibrous mesocarp surrounding a single, large seed[].

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[].

Medicinal

The sap is said to be a cure for snake bites[, ].

Other Uses

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

Propagation

Seed -

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