Pseudophoenix ekmanii

Burret

Cacheo

ArecaceaeBark/SapPotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Pseudophoenix ekmanii
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Yolanda M. Leon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Yolanda M. Leon
Pseudophoenix ekmanii
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Yolanda M. Leon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Pseudophoenix ekmanii
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Yolanda M. Leon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Sap - palm wine

The sap is fermented to make a wine. The stem is cut down, the pith removed, especially from the swollen section of the stem, and the sap is squeezed out and then fermented. Harvesting this stem obviously means the death of the tree.

Known Hazards

Extracting sap for wine production kills the tree.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows in open savanna. It grows in low, dry calcareous hills.

Central America, Dominican Republic, Haiti, West Indies,

Countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, St Vincent

How to Identify

A solitary palm. The trunks are white and waxy. They grow 6 m high. They bulge above the mid point. It has distinct rings. The crown-shaft is dark green and 60-100 cm long. The leaf crown is open and forms a circle. The leaves are 2-2.6 m long. They are erect. They have brown scales on the lower surface. The flower stalk hangs down. The flower and fruit stalks are slender. The fruit are round and have 2-3 lobes. They are about 2 cm across and reddish.

How to Grow

Grows best in a sunny position. Prefers a moist, but well drained soil. Prefers a limestone based soil. A very slow growing plant,

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Pseudophoenix ekmanii is a palm species endemic to the Barahona Peninsula and Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Production

It is slow growing.

Notes

There are 4 Pseudophoenix species.

Names & Synonyms

Cacheo de Oviedo

References (5)
  • Haynes, J., & McLaughlin, J., 2000, Edible palms and Their Uses. University of Florida Fact sheet MCDE-00-50-1 p 12
  • Henderson, A., Galeano, G and Bernal, R., 1995, Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas. Princeton. p 72
  • Johnson, D.V., 1998, Tropical palms. Non-wood Forest products 10. FAO Rome. p 86
  • Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 720
  • Riffle, R.L. & Craft, P., 2003, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Timber Press. p 423

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