Mauritiella armata
(Mart.) Burret
Arecaceae
Lepidococcus armatus (Mart.) H.Wendl. & Drude
Lepidococcus duckei (Burret) A.D.Hawkes
Lepidococcus huebneri (Burret) A.D.Hawkes
Lepidococcus intermedius (Burret) A.D.Hawkes
Lepidococcus martianus (Spruce) A.D.Hawkes
Lepidococcus peruvianus (Becc.) A.D.Hawkes
Mauritia aculeata Mart.
Mauritia armata Mart.
Mauritia campylostachys (Burret) Balick
Mauritia duckei (Burret) Balick
Mauritia huebneri Burret
Mauritia intermedia Burret
Mauritia macrospadix (Burret) Balick
Mauritia martiana Spruce
Mauritia nannostachys (Burret) Balick
Mauritia peruviana Becc.
Mauritiella campylostachys Burret
Mauritiella duckei Burret
Mauritiella huebneri (Burret) Burret
Mauritiella intermedia (Burret) Burret
Mauritiella macrospadix Burret
Mauritiella martiana (Spruce) Burret
Mauritiella nannostachys Burret
Mauritiella peruviana (Becc.) Burret
Oenocarpus dealbatus H.Wendl.
Common Name:
General Information
Mauritiella armata is an evergreen palm tree producing a clump of stems growing from 2 - 20 metres tall. The several, unbranched boles growing from the base are around 20cm in diameter and armed with spines; they are topped by a crown of 4 - 10 leaves[
314- Title
- Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.pacsoa.org.au/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website.
,
412- Title
- Illustrated Guide to the Trees of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Pennington, T.D.; Reynel, C. & Daza, A.
- Publisher
- David Hunt; Sherbourne, England.
- Year
- 2004
- ISBN
- 0 9538134 3 6
- Description
- A very terse guide to the trees of Peru, managing to give basic guides to a large number of genera, with more detail on a few species in each genus.
,
768- Title
- Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R.
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey.
- Year
- 1995
- ISBN
- 0-691-08537-4
- Description
- An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its fruit, which is used to make a popular drink. The hard seeds of the plant are used to make buttons and the wood is also useful. The plant is also cultivated, especially in Brazil.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
768- Title
- Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R.
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey.
- Year
- 1995
- ISBN
- 0-691-08537-4
- Description
- An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos.
Range
S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas.
Habitat
Quite widely distributed, found in rainforests from the lowlands of the Amazon River, up to the cool Guyana Highlands at 1,400 metres[
314- Title
- Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.pacsoa.org.au/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website.
]. Lowland forest on non-flooded sites, also on poorly drained sandy soils, river margins to 1,500 metres[
412- Title
- Illustrated Guide to the Trees of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Pennington, T.D.; Reynel, C. & Daza, A.
- Publisher
- David Hunt; Sherbourne, England.
- Year
- 2004
- ISBN
- 0 9538134 3 6
- Description
- A very terse guide to the trees of Peru, managing to give basic guides to a large number of genera, with more detail on a few species in each genus.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 15.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a position in full sun and a moist soil that does not dry out[
314- Title
- Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.pacsoa.org.au/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website.
].
Once established, this species is a very vigorous grower[
314- Title
- Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.pacsoa.org.au/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
768- Title
- Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas
- Publication
-
- Author
- Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R.
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey.
- Year
- 1995
- ISBN
- 0-691-08537-4
- Description
- An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos.
].
Edible Uses
Fruits - raw[
].
A drink is prepared from the mesocarp of the fruits[
]. It is drunk with cassava meal and sugar[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. Some people believe that the flavour of this drink is superior to the very popular drink 'Miriti', obtained from Martinia flexuosa[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The petioles of the leaves serve as bottle tops[
].
The seed is a vegetable ivory as hard as that obtained from Phytelephas macrocarpa. As the fruit is very small the buttons made are also much smaller than can be made from other vegetable ivories[
665- Title
- Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported. No. 60
- Publication
- USDA Bureau of Plant Industry.
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- USDA Government Printing Office; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1919
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Details of seeds and plants imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the third quarter of 1919, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]
The wood is used for making bows[
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
