Acrocomia media

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Figure 1. A. media

Synonymy:

American botanist George Proctor considers A. media to be a valid species on the basis of its shorter, more slender trunk, but other authors consider it a synonym of A. aculeata.

Common Names:

In Puerto Rico it is known as coroso or palma de coroso.

Distribution & Habitat:

Open forest of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Description:

It is a stout, solitary palm with finely pinnate, plumose leaves. It reaches a height of 10 - 15 metres (33 - 49 ft), with a stem diameter of 20 to 30 centimetres (7.9 to 12 in). It has a grey trunk, thickly covered in long spines. The fruit are also lightly spined.

Culture:

Likes full sun, and lots of water, but good drainage.

Figure 2. A. media spines.

Figure 3. A. media infructescence.

Figure 4. A. media

Figure 5. A. media fruit. Note the small spines.

Contributed by:

Cailan Ramos (Figure 1,2,3,4&5)

External Links:

Kew, PalmWeb, JSTOR, Trebrown

Google, GoogleImages, Flickr, PalmTalk