Astrocaryum G. (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Astrocaryum G. Mey.

Family: Palmae

Major species and synonyms

• Astrocaryum aculeatum G. Mey., synonyms: A. aureum Griseb. & H. Wendl., A. chambira Burret, A. tucuma Mart.

• Astrocaryum vulgare Mart., synonyms: A. awarra de Vriese, A. segregatum Drude, A. tucumoides Drude.

Vernacular names

• General: tucuma, tucum, tucuma palm (En).

• A. aculeatum . Tucum, tucuma, tucuma palm (En).

• A. vulgare . Awarra, tucum, tucuma palm (En). Aoura (Fr).

Distribution

All 50 known species of Astrocaryum originate from tropical Central and South-America, from Mexico southwards to Brazil and Bolivia; they are absent from the West Indies but present in Trinidad. Some species are occasionally cultivated pantropically. A. aculeatum and A. vulgare originate from tropical South America. A. vulgare has been successfully cultivated in Malaysia and Singapore.

Uses

The fruits of most Astrocaryum species yield a pulp oil and a kernel oil. The pulp is used locally to extract an edible oil or as cattle feed; the kernel oils have gained some importance in international trade, being fine oils suitable for human consumption and for making margarine and soap. The refined oil is clear, highly edible and competes in food quality with coconut and palm-kernel oil. Most species have edible "cabbages" ("palm hearts") and are planted as ornamentals. A fibre can be isolated from the leaves by maceration. It is used to make, for example, hammocks, hats, mats, fishing lines, fishing nets and paper.

Observations

Moderate to robust, solitary or clustered, spiny, pleonanthic, monoecious palms. Leaves at first erect, finally often arching, regularly or irregularly pinnate with acute-tipped leaflets. Inflorescence at flowering erect between the leaves, at fruiting deflexed or pendulous, rachis thick and branched to one order, branches with female flowers at base and male flowers densely clustered at the ends and somewhat immersed. Fruit a usually 1-seeded drupe, mesocarp dry farinose-fibrous or carnose pulpy-fibrous; endocarp bony with 3 pores near apex.

• A. aculeatum . Solitary palm, trunk up to 25 m tall and 20-30 cm in diameter; petiole up to 2 m, blade 7 m long, leaflets linear, 1 m × 4-5 mm; inflorescence 2 m long, branches 40 cm long, spines 8 cm long; drupe ovoid to subglobose, about 6 cm in diameter, yellow-orange, mesocarp fleshy, edible, kernel subglobose, 5.5 cm in diameter, endocarp 3 mm thick. Very often found near actual or former human settlements.

• A. vulgare . Trunks few to several, up to 9 m tall and 18 cm in diameter, densely armed with black flattened spines up to 12 cm long; leaves 3 m long, leaflets 70-80 cm; inflorescence 2 m or longer, armed with prickles 1-3 cm long; drupe subglobose, 4 cm in diameter, orange, apex shortly pointed, mesocarp fibrous-fleshy, yellowish, edible; endocarp 3 mm thick, kernel narrowed towards the base, 1-seeded. Usually found on dry sandy soils.

Most species are confined to tropical lowland, some as undergrowth of primary forest, others light demanding in secondary forest, forest margins or river banks. The oil content of the kernel is 25-50%. Below the melting point of 30-33°C the oil is a somewhat brittle, firm, solid. Other species particularly mentioned for their oil-yielding fruits and seeds are A. gynacanthum Mart. and A. mexicanum Liebm. ex Mart. Several Astrocaryum species have been grown successfully in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and they may have some potential as oil crops for South-East Asia, e.g. A. vulgare on poor sandy soils.

Selected sources

19, 34, 126.