Common Name: Bacaba

General Information

Bacaba is a tall, thin, single-stemmed, evergreen feather palm growing 7 - 20 metres tall with drooping leaflets[]. The unbranched stem is up to 30cm in diameter; it has a short crownshaft at the apex; and is topped by a crown of 10 - 15, spreading leaves that can each be 6 metres long[, ].
A drink that is popular in the region is made from the fruits, whilst the tree also provides oil, material for thatching etc and timber[, ]. It is mainly gathered from the wild, but is also sometimes cultivated[]. The tree is sometimes also grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

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

Habitat

Dryland areas in the rainforest[]. Mainly found as an understorey tree in dense primary rainforests, mainly but not exclusively in land subject to seasonal inundation[]. Survives in open sunny positions if the rainforest is cleared around it[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics.
Requires a sunny, moist, but well drained position[]. Grows in shady positions in the rainforest within its native range, though it can also grow well in full sun if the forest is cleared[].
Trees are fairly slow growing[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. A thin, fleshy pulp[]. Rich in oil, the fruit is usually made into a high calorie drink, after removing the skin and cooking[, , ]. The pulp can also be eaten as a paste[]. The dark red to purple, globose fruits are about 15mm in diameter[, ].

A sweet, colourless oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit[, ]. It can be used for cooking, margarine etc[]. It is used in the same ways as olive oil[]. It is used to adulterate olive oil[].

Leaves - cooked[]. The apical bud, often known as a 'palm heart', is eaten as a vegetable[]. Eating this bud leads to the death of the tree because it is unable to make side shoots[].

Medicinal

The heart or terminal bud is dried, pulverized and used in a plaster to cicatrize open wounds[].

The Surinam Tirio crush the white fibres, and squeeze the expressed sap onto cuts caused by a knife or machete to reduce the flow of blood and quicken healing[].

An emulsion of the fruit pulp is ingested as a refreshant[].

Other Uses

An oil is extracted from the pulp of the mesocarp[]. It is used as a fuel[].

The leaves are used for thatching[]. They are woven into items such as bags and fans[].

The wood (actually a wide outer ring of the stem) is moderately to very hard and heavy, durable when used in dry positions. Easy to split, the wood is very hard to work in any way and is chiefly suitable for purposes where the trunk can be used whole, or at least in large pieces. It is used in rural construction, for making posts, boards, spears, walking sticks etc[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - There is no need to separate the seeds from the flesh of the fruit, it can all be sown together[]. The seed is best sown as soon as it is harvested in a lightly shaded position, either in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers[]. Pot up seedlings from the seedbed into individual containers when they are 4 - 6cm tall[]. Seedlings grow away quite slowly, but should be ready to plant out 7 - 9 months later[].

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