View source for Bactris gasipaes

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Arecaceae
|genus=Bactris
|species=gasipaes
|taxo_author=Kunth.
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Pupunha (Bactris gasipaes) 2.jpg
|image_width=240
|image_caption=''Bactris gasipaes'' palm
}}
'''''Bactris gasipaes''''' is a species of [[Arecaceae|palm]] native to the [[tropical forest]]s of the [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]]. It is a palm which can typically grow to 20 m or taller, with pinnate [[leaf|leaves]] 3 m long on a 1 m long [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]]. The [[fruit]] is a [[drupe]] with an edible pulp surrounding the single [[seed]], 4-6 cm long and 3-5 cm broad. The rind ([[epicarp]]) of this wild palm can be red, yellow, or orange when the fruit is ripe depending on the variety of the palm. 

[[Image:Pupunha (Bactris gasipaes) 7.jpg|thumb|left|''B. gasipaes'' fruits]]
''B. gasipaes'' is well known by the native [[population]]s where it usually grows up, and they having been used for centuries as food. They frequently eat the fruit stewed in salted water. However, it may be peeled and dressed with salt and honey, used to make [[compote]]s and [[Fruit preserves|jellies]], or also used to make [[flour]] and [[vegetable oil|edible oil]]. 

Many species of [[bird]]s feed on this wild palm, notably [[macaw]]s, [[parrot]]s and [[parakeet]]s, all members of the family [[Psittacidae]]. Some of these are [[endemic species]], which are in danger of [[extinction]].

{{Inc|
Bactris gasipaes, HBK. (Guilielma speciosa, Mart.). St. about 60 ft. high, single or cespitose, with rings of subulate-compressed black spines, 1 in. long, the rings about as far apart as the diam. of the st.: Lvs. 6 ft. long, curving; segms. dark green above, pale green below, very numerous, approximate, 1½ ft. long, 1¼ in. wide, linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, bristly or minutely prickly along the margins: fr. orange or reddish, nearly 2 in. long, ovoid. Lower Amazon.
}}