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Acrocomia (name means a tuft of leaves at the top). Palmaceae, tribe Bactridineae. A showy genus of American palms. Not popular in the trade because of their spiny habit and rather unattractive young state. The adult plants, however, are very graceful.

Acrocomia (name means a tuft of leaves at the top). Palmaceae, tribe Bactridineae. A showy genus of American palms. Not popular in the trade because of their spiny habit and rather unattractive young state. The adult plants, however, are very graceful.

These palms are usually spiny and have large, terminal, pinnate leaves. All except A. Totai should be grown in a warmhouse, with a night temperature not lower than 60°. They should be potted in soil similar to that for the coconuts, and, if possible, planted out directly. It has been found by some that overpotting the young plants is a danger likely to be incurred. The palms grow slowly and should not be transferred to a new pot until they become almost pot-bound.

These palms are usually spiny and have large, terminal, pinnate leaves. All except A. Totai should be grown in a warmhouse, with a night temperature not lower than 60°. They should be potted in soil similar to that for the coconuts, and, if possible, planted out directly. It has been found by some that overpotting the young plants is a danger likely to be incurred. The palms grow slowly and should not be transferred to a new pot until they become almost pot-bound.

Propagation is by suckers, which come freely in most species. Seeds are not known in cultivation for any of the species except A. sclerocarpa.

Propagation is by suckers, which come freely in most species. Seeds are not known in cultivation for any of the species except A. sclerocarpa.{{SCH}}

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'''''Acrocomia aculeata''''', the sole species in the genus '''''Acrocomia''''', is a species of [[Arecaceae|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'''; [[synonymy|synonyms]] include ''A. lasiospatha, A. sclerocarpa'', ''A. totai'', and ''A. vinifera''.

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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 [[leaf|leaves]] are pinnate, 3-4 m long, with numerous slender, 50-100 cm long leaflets. The [[flower]]s 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.

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The plant can in a wide variety of climates and situations, but is generally limited to areas of South America; 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 [[sandpaper|sanded]] and worn as rings. The trunk of the palm can also be 'milked' to yield a [[Fermentation (food)|fermented]] [[alcoholic beverage]] known as [[coyol wine]].

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==References==

==References==

*[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?129 Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Acrocomia'']

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

*[http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Acrocomia/aculeata.html PACSOA: ''Acrocomia aculeata'']

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

*[http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/ipgri/fruits_from_americas/frutales/Ficha%20Acrocomia%20aculeata.htm Project for Neotropical Fruits: ''Acrocomia aculeata'']

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

 

[[Category:Flora of Brazil]]

[[Category:Categorize]]

[[es:Acrocomia totai]]

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