Acrocomia totai

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Figure 1. A. totai in habitat

Common Names:

"mbocaya" from the Guaranies Indians,
"coco" or "corozo" from Brazil (refers to all Acrocomias).

Habitat:

Present in sandy soils of lowlands (pampas) of the north of Argentina. In some areas is found alongside Butias, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Allagoptera campestris, A. leucocalyx, and Euterpes.

Description:

Not endangered palm, the most notable characteristic is the large black spines on the trunk that are lost as the plant ages. These also present on the petioles and rachis. Fruit are edible, round, and yellow to orange when mature. Seeds are black, round and very hard. There are variations (ecotypes) within the type in the height, size, quantities of spines, leaves and forms of the trunk.

Culture:

The seeds take about a year to germinate and the plants are fast growers if given enough water. Is the most cold resistent of all Acrocomias, tolerating frost without damage.

 

Figure 2. A. totai with fruit in Trinidad, Itapua, in the south of Paraguay, not so far from the river Parana.

 

Contributed by:

Gaston Torres Vera, Cordoba, Argentina (Figure 1) (copyright Argentina Palms)
Dieter Oberlaender (Figure 2)

External Links:

Kew, PalmWeb, JSTOR, Trebrown

Google, GoogleImages, Flickr, PalmTalk