Common Name:

General Information

Attalea rostrata is an evergreen palm with a large and massive appearance The plant is often without a stem when young, but this elongates in age and commonly reaches 3 - 6 metres or more tall. The leaves on this large, solid, unbranched stem can be 3.5 metres or more long[].
This palm is of great economic importance locally[]. Its leaves are the commonest thatch of the humbler dwellings of the Pacific coast, and even of some of the more substantial ones, rain capes made from the leaves are sold throughout Guatemala, and the plant provides various foods and other materials for the local people[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Central America - Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico.

Habitat

Probably a forest tree by nature, now most plentiful on open pastured plains from which the original forest has been cut. Often abundant, forming wide stands; often on land that is very wet for part of the year, sometimes wet for all the year[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

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 plant since it is unable to produce new shoots[].

The sap that collects in the cavity from which the apical bud was harvested is allowed to ferment with panela or crude brown sugar to form an intoxicating beverage[].

The scant flesh of the fruits and nuts are eaten[] The kernels are said to be used sometimes for making confections[].

An oil is extracted by pressure from the seed[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The leaves are commonly used as a thatch[].

The leaves are used to make suyacales (rain capes) and sopladores (the fans so necessary for starting kitchen fires, particularly those burning charcoal)[].

Bunches of the nerves from the leaves are used as brooms and coarse brushes[].

An oil extracted from the seed is used for making soap[]. The oil is also used to make 'Jabon Vegetal' which is highly esteemed in Guatemala for toilet purposes[].

The nuts are cut transversely and shaped to make small pipe bowls[].

The trunks are used for various kinds of construction and sometimes for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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