Euterpe precatoria

Mart.

Mountain cabbage palm

Arecaceae Edible: Palm heart, Fruit, Cabbage, Seeds- oil, Flower 732 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Euterpe precatoria is a tall, slender-stemmed, pinnate-leaved palm native to Central and South America and Trinidad and Tobago. E. precatoria is used commercially to produce fruits, although Euterpe oleracea is more commonly cultivated due to its larger fruits.

Description

A slim solitary palm. The trunk can be 15-20 m tall. The trunk is 20-25 cm across. There are rings on the trunk. There are 8-13 leaves. The leaves hang down. The leaves are 3-3.5 m long. There are leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets hang down. The leaflets are 30-40 cm long and without leaflet stalks. The flowering stalk grows below the crown-shaft. The fruit are produced in large numbers. The fruit are round and 1.3 cm across. They are dark purple when ripe. The seed is 1 cm across. There are at least 2 varieties.

Edible Uses

E. precatoria is a non-timber forest product that produces acai berries. As well as the edible fruits, this palm is a source of prized (though not very nutritious) hearts of palm. Since it is a single-stemmed palm, harvesting palm hearts kills the tree, and has led to a reduction in numbers. During the 1990s, the palm was heavily harvested for palmito in Peru and Bolivia, but production dropped in the early 2000s due to overharvesting. Today, prices in Peru are currently high since it is now uncommon in the wild.

Traditional Uses

The palm heart is edible. The fruit are used for drinks. The seeds yields an edible oil.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The roots are boiled, and the water drunk as an antimalarial. A decoction of the roots, combined with the roots of Manicaria saccifera and the leaves of bamboo, are used as a remedy for bronchitis.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in north of South America from sea level to 2000 m altitude. It grows in wet forests and along rivers. It can grow in swamps and areas than are occasionally flooded. In Ecuador it grows between 900-1,300 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Amazon, Belize, Bolivia*, Brazil*, Central America, Colombia*, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela*,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. The seeds are small and should be planted when fresh.

Propagation

Seed - germinates rapidly and grows quickly.

Other Uses

The stems are widely used in construction.

Other Information

The juice as 'assai wine' is popular. The fruit are sold in local markets. Also the palm hearts. It is cultivated.

Notes

There are between 7 and 18 Euterpe species.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Fruit	85.3	274	67	0.8	—	33.7	0.9	0.4

Synonyms

Catis stenophylla Trail ex Thurn.Euterpe jatapuensis Barb. Rodr.Euterpe langloisii BurretEuterpe petiolata BurretEuterpe subruminata Burret

Also Known As

Abua, Acaf, Acai, Acai-do-amazonas, Acai solteiro, Asaf, Asahi, Asai, Asai de la selva, Baboen-pina, Big manicole, Chonta, Dudiba, Huasai, Huasi, Imibi ni, Jene, Maimasi, Manaca, Midra, Monkimonki-pina, Murrapo, Palmiche, Palmito, Palmo real, Pana, Panane, Reho, Warunamsebe, Wassai, Winamoro

References (43)

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