Attalea amygdalina
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Attalea amygdalina is a South American palm tree .
The species is endemic to the Andean valleys of Colombia . It grows here in the hill-level rainforests. The population is endangered by the spreading agriculture.
Attalea amygdalina does not form an above-ground trunk. The large, ascending or upright leaves are up to 6 m long. Only the tip of the leaf is curved. The leaflets on the large rhachis are regular. They become 60 to 90 cm long, are dark green, linear-elliptical and flabby. They are on one level.
The epithet amygdalina means “small almond” and refers to the shape of the edible seed . A high-quality cooking oil is obtained from these. However, this has never been used commercially as there are no machines that can open the hard shell without damaging the seed.
literature
- Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft: An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms , 4th Edition, Timber Press, Portland 2007, ISBN 978-0-88192-558-6 , p. 265.
Web links
Wikispecies: Attalea amygdalina - species directory- Palmpedia - Attalea amygdalina (English, with many pictures)