Prestoea decurrens

(H. Wendl. ex Burret) H. E. Moore

Decurrent prestoa, Cana lucia

Arecaceae Edible: Palm heart, Cabbage, Stem - starch 22 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A palm. It grows 3-8 m tall. They trunk is 7-12 cm across. The leaf stalks are 60-150 cm long. The leaf blade is 1.5-3 m long. There are 30-50 leaflets on each side. These are 22-80 cm long by 1.5-6 cm wide.

Edible Uses

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 individual stem since it is unable to form side shoots. However, where the plant forms a cluster of stems, it will often produce new stems to replace those that have been killed.

Traditional Uses

The starch from the stem is eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows between 40-850 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Andes, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, South America,

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Synonyms

Euterpe decurrens H. Wendl. ex Burret

Also Known As

Cajtafa', Palmito, Pil

References (6)

Grandtner, M. M., 2008, World Dictionary of Trees. Wood and Forest Science Department. Laval University, Quebec, Qc Canada. (Internet database http://www.wdt.qc.ca)
Grandtner, M. M. & Chevrette, J., 2013, Dictionary of Trees, Volume 2: South America: Nomenclature, Taxonomy and Ecology. Academic Press p 324
Grayum, M. H., 2000, MBG: Research: Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica: Draft Treatments p 21
Penafield Anchundia, D. D., 2017, Traditional food consumption and its nutritional contribution in Guasaganda, Central Ecuador. PhD Ghent University p 71
Torre, de la L., et al, 2008, Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador. Herbario QCA. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. p 207

Show all 6 references