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Summary
Phytelephas aequatorialis or also known as Vegetable Ivory or Corozo is a tropical, dioecious palm found in Australia, Brazil, Central America, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and other parts of South America. It is a solitary palm growing about 16 m tall, with trunk diameter of up to 30 cm. It has a large and round leaf crown, with each leaf measuring about 5-6 m long. It is the main source of a botanical alternative to ivory known as Ecuadorean vegetable ivory or tagua. The seed is edible. Liquid endosperm is consumed as a drink. The leaves are cooked and the apical buds are eaten as a vegetable. The endocarp is very hard and used for making buttons, chess pieces, etc. The leaves are used as a thatch.
Physical Characteristics
Phytelephas aequatorialis is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone (UK) 10. The flowers are pollinated by Beetles, Flies, Bees. The plant is not self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Palandra aequatorialis (Spruce) O.F.Cook
Habitats
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Apical bud Fruit Leaves Seed
Edible Uses:
The seed is eaten in various ways. When immature, the liquid endosperm is used as a refreshing drink[768 ]. As it becomes harder and more jelly-like, it is eaten as a food[768 ]. The orange, fleshy fruit is eaten as a delicacy[768 ]. Leaves - cooked[763 ]. The apical bud, often known as a 'palm heart', is eaten as a vegetable[763 ]. Eating this bud leads to the death of the tree because it is unable to make side shoots[K ].
References
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
None known
References
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Other Uses
Other Uses: The endocarp of the seed is very hard. Known as vegetable ivory, it is used for making buttons, chess pieces and ornamental articles of various kinds[324 , 768 ]. The leaves are used as a thatch[768 ].
Special Uses
References
Cultivation details
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[768 ].
References
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
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Propagation
Seed -
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Vegetable ivory, Corozo, Ivory palm, tagua - Spanish, Coroso, Tagua, Trapa, Cade,
Found In
Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available
Ecuador, Australia, Brazil, Central America, Panama, Peru, South America,
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Near Threatened
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
Spruce
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
Readers comment
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Subject : Phytelephas aequatorialis
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