Chamaedorea tepejilote
Liebm. ex Mart.
Pacaya, Palmito dulce
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Summary
Source: WikipediaChamaedorea tepejilote, also known as the pacaya palm, is a species of Chamaedorea palm tree found in the understory of the forests of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern Colombia.
Description
A very slender but robust palm. The trunk has swollen nodes. It has prominent annual rings and prop roots near the base. Plants can be solitary or clumping. They can be 3-7 m high. The stems can be 1.5-5 cm across. The crown is of loose dark green fronds. These leaves are divided into leaflets along the stalk. The leaves can be 1.5 m long and 1 m wide. They arch over. The flowering stalks are borne below the crown. The flowers are fragrant. They are greenish-yellow. The fruit are 1.5 cm long and black when ripe. The fruit stalk is red. There is one seed.
Edible Uses
The immature male inflorescence is the main edible part, eaten raw or cooked. It is harvested before the inflorescence opens, at which stage it resembles an ear of corn. Raw, it can be added to salads — traditionally eaten in Guatemala on the Day of the Dead. Cooked, it is prepared as a vegetable known as 'rellenos de pacaya', often served with tomato sauce in the style of chiles rellenos, or boiled or fried in egg batter. The flavour is bitter and it is sometimes cooked in several changes of water to reduce this. The young leaves are also edible when cooked. The apical bud, known as a palm heart, can be eaten as a vegetable, but removing it kills the tree since the plant cannot produce side shoots.
Traditional Uses
The male flower is eaten while immature in salads. It is also boiled or fried in egg batter. It is usually cooked in several changes of water to remove bitterness. The middle layer of the fruit is edible when fully ripe.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Known Hazards
The juice of the fruit of most members of this genus is said to be an irritant to the skin.
Distribution
A tropical plant. Shade is essential. It can grow in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. It grows naturally in rainforest. It is often on limestone soils. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Townsville palmetum.
Where It Grows
Australia, Belize, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, South America,
Cultivation
A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,600 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20° - 28°c, but can tolerate 15° - 32°c. It can be killed by temperatures of 2°c or lower. Plants can tolerate occasional light frosts. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 3,000mm. An easily grown plant if its basic requirements are met. It requires at least moderate shade, and can tolerate deep shade. It requires a well-drained, moist, humus-rich soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8. A variable plant in the wild, with some forms growing 7 metres or more tall and others only 2 metres. A fast-growing plant, producing flowers and fruit when only a few years old. A dioecious species - both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Propagation
Plants are grown from seed.
Other Uses
None known.
Production
It can be quite fast growing.
Other Information
It is commonly eaten in Guatemala and Mexico. Plants are cultivated for this purpose.
Notes
There are about 100 Chamaedorea species. They are mostly in Central America. There are 77 species in tropical America.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Cana verde, Nurum, Pacaito, Pacaya, Siplina, Tepejilote
References (32)
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