S. America; tropical rainforest, sites subject to flooding. Staple food - edible oil, fruit, heart - of - palm; wine from fruit and sap; fruit high in vit. A and C; edible oil from kernel of fruit, similar in quality to more commonly used oils such as African oil palm kernels; fruit clusters reach 45 kg weight; sugar; starch from trunk (60 kg/tree); possible source of industrial starch; fruit has a pleasant, sweet, tangy taste; could be canned or candied; hearts - of - palm from shoots; leaf fibre for rope, sacking, nets and hammocks; petiole for cork; trunk for light, tough wood similar to balsa wood, for making rafts and floats. Local products only; indicator plant tropical rainforest swamp; solitary fan palm, to 25 m; spines on leaves. Semi - wild / wild.
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