Common Name: Palmeira Murumura

General Information

Astrocaryum murumura is a large, highly variable palm that can range from being short and stemless through to being a tall, robust, clustering palm growing up to 15 metres tall[, ]. The unbranched stems can be 10 - 30cm in diameter; they are armed with long, scattered, black spines; and topped by a crown of 5 - 15, horizontally spreading leaves that can each be up to 7 metres long. The petioles and sheathing bases are also thickly covered with long, black spines generally directed downward, and often 20cm long[, ].
A multpurpose tree, providing food, medicines and various materials for the local population. The fruit is greatly enjoyed in its native range, where it is gathered on a commercial scale from the wild, both for its fruit and its seed[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - northern Brazil, Venezuela and the Guyanas.

Habitat

Rainforest, where it is often one of the dominant trees[]. On land under tidal influence inf the lower Amazon, and on the margins of the rivers and gapos of the upper Amazon[]. Usually found in areas subject to periodic inundation[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a moist but well-drained soil and a position in full sun[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. Juicy, with an aromatic, sweet-acidic flavour similar to melons[, ]. The fruit has an agreeable flavour and at first a scent resembling musk but afterwards that of a melon[]. The turbinate fruit is 60 - 85mm long and 38 - 44mm wide with a yellow, fleshy mesocarp around 6 - 10mm thick enclosing a single, large seed[].

The liquid endosperm (developing seed) of the unripe fruits is probably drunk[].

An oil is obtained from the seed[, ]. It is used in the production of margarine[].
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[].

The palm heart (the inner core and growing bud of the plant) is harvested[]. It provides a crispy food, rich in nutrients, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Harvesting the heart will lead to the death of the stem it was harvested from, though in multi-stemmed plants such as this the rest of the plant will continue to grow and often produce new stems.. Harvesting this bud leads to the death of the stem because it is unable to make side shoots[].

Medicinal

The fleshy fruit is considered to be aromatic and aphrodisiac[].
A paste prepared from the fruit is used to treat sprains and fractures[]. (The fruit utilized for paste may actually be that of Astrocaryum sciophilum (Miquel) Pulle[].)

Other Uses

The kernel produces a very rich extract which is used by the beauty industry as an ingredient in shampoos, conditioners, and moisturizing skin care products[].
The oils extracted from the fruit and the seed are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations as emollients and skin conditioners[].
The powdered shell of the seeds is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an abrasive[].
An extract of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin consitioner[].

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

The stems of new leaves are used for braiding hats and making baskets[].

Fibres from the leaves and petioles have been suggested as an alternative source for producing paper[].

Propagation

Seed -

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