Acrocomia

taxobox
name = "Acrocomia aculeata"

---

regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Arecales
familia = Arecaceae
subfamilia = Arecoideae
tribus = Cocoeae
genus = "Acrocomia"
species = "A. aculeata"
binomial = "Acrocomia aculeata"
binomial_authority = (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.Martius, Historia Naturalis Palmarum 2:66. 1824] |wikispeciescommons

"Acrocomia aculeata", the sole species in the genus "Acrocomia", is a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern Mexico and the Caribbean south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Common names include Grugru Palm, Macaúba Palm, Coyol Palm, and Macaw Palm; synonyms include "A. lasiospatha, A. sclerocarpa", "A. totai", and "A. vinifera".

Description

It grows to 15-20 m tall, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter, characterized by numerous slender, black, viciously sharp 10 cm long spines jutting out from the trunk. The leaves are pinnate, 3-4 m long, with numerous slender, 50-100 cm long leaflets. The flowers are small, produced on a large branched inflorescence 1.5 m long. The fruit is a yellowish-green drupe 2.5-5 cm in diameter, containing a single, dark brown, nutlike seed 2-3 cm diameter, which is very tough to break. The inside is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste when eaten.

Uses

The plants inhabit a wide variety of climates and situations; in Paraguay, for example, where it is ubiquitous, it is called the "coco paraguayo" (Paraguayan coconut), as it is much less common in the rest of the world. It has been suggested that grugru nut, which come in mass numbers from each tree, can be used in the manufacture of biodiesel. The grugru nut, while very hard, can be sliced into thin circles to be sanded and worn as rings. The trunk of the palm can also be 'milked' to yield a fermented alcoholic beverage known as coyol wine.

References

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?129 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Acrocomia"]
* [http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Acrocomia/aculeata.html PACSOA: "Acrocomia aculeata"]
* [http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/ipgri/fruits_from_americas/frutales/Ficha%20Acrocomia%20aculeata.htm Project for Neotropical Fruits: "Acrocomia aculeata"]