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Bactris bactris
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===Botany:=== Peach palm is in the same subfamily as coconut and oil palm. ''Bactris gasipaes'' is the only species in the genus. The species is a feather palm, forming a clump of stems by suckering from the base. It grows up to 20 m high and 15 cm in diameter. Stems are usually heavilly armed with rings of very sharp, black, 5 cm spines; the outer layer is very hard. Leaves are pinnate. 2.5 m long: leaflets are dark green, smooth, 50 cm long; leaves are deciduous leaving the trunk clean. Flowers are in spikes produced in axils of the lower leaves: monoecious, the females are interspersed among the more numerous males, inflorescences develop into pendant bunches (up to 12 kg) of fruits (up to 300). Fruits are with kernel, shell (endocarp), pulp (mesocarp), skin (pericarp), 2 to 6 cm long: mesocarp orange, rich in vitamin A, nicotinic acid, very starchy. The Peach palm is widely distributed throughout tropical America from Colombia to Costa Rica. It is not known as a wild species in Costa Rica where it is most cultivated. Some of the uses of peach palm are: Fruits eaten after boiling 3 hours in salt water. Staple diet of local population for several months. Canned: halves used with dips at parties: terminal bud of over-tall stems eaten as palm cabbage. (This does not destroy the clump as would be the case with single-stemmed palms.} Palm wine. Outer wood used for carving or where very hard material is required. Climatic requirements The Peach palm requires a strictly tropical climate with a temperature range of 16 to 25C, rainfall up to 2500 mm annually, and an altitude between sea level and 1200 m.
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