Astrocaryum mexicanum
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Arecaceae
Central America
Lowland rainforest. Up to 400 meters above sea level. 5 meter tall palm.
Ecological value:
Sharp spikes sound the trunk prevent predation. Can tolerate part shade. Most effective pollinators are small nitidulid beetles. Long-lived for a palm: can live up to 140 years. Sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Material uses:
Leaves are used for roof covering. Tool handles are made from the stems. Wood used for floors and furniture. Bark is also a source of tannins for leather.
Edible uses:
Seeds. Taste is similar to that of coconuts.
Medicinal use:
No record on this species.
Other details:
Also known as the Choco Palm. Belongs to the Anacardiaceae family which are characterized by fruits shaped as drupes. Small holes are found throughout the wood in this family.
Research:
Christina Murcia/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Astrocaryum Mexicanum Liebm. Ex Mart. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:664332-1#other-data.
Dattilo et al, ‘Tropical Forest Fragmentation Affects Floral Visitors but Not the Structure of Individual-Based Palm-Pollinator Networks’,PLoS ONE, April 2015, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0121275
Piñero, D.; Sarukhán, J. (1982). "Reproductive behaviour and its individual variability in a tropical palm, Astrocaryum mexicanum". Journal of Ecology. 70 (2): 461–472. doi:10.2307/2259915. JSTOR 2259915.
“Astrocaryum Mexicanum - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Astrocaryum+mexicanum.
“Plants» Selina Wamucii.” n.d. Selina Wamucii. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://www.selinawamucii.com/plants/arecaceae/astrocaryum-mexicanum/#uses-and-benefits.
Image source: Fritz Geller-Grimm