S. America: tropical rainforest, upland sites. Staple palm; edible oil (40 kg/tree/yr), which can be used for the same purposes as coconut oil eg. margarine, shortening, toilet soap, fatty acids, detergents. The oil is obtained by conventional methods of oilseed extraction, and the remain-ing seedcake used for animal feed (75% protein); kernels contain 72% oil content, and smell and look like coconut meat. They may produce 1500 nuts/ha, or 1 tonne nuts /tree (90 kg of kernels); leaves for thatch; nuts have thick shells which are excellent fuel. Cultivated and managed stands; grows easily from fresh seed; grows to 20 m; oil exported; solitary feather palm. Unimproved.
×