Tall palm, 8.3-20 m tall, erect, heavy, trunks ringed. Leaves are numerous, and 3 to 3.5 meters long; petioles are broad, and are armed on the sides with spinescent, reduced leaves; leaflets are numerous, linear-lanceolate, nearly 1 meter long, 2 or 4 meters wide. Monoecious, male and female flowers in separate clusters, but on same tree. ; male flowers on short furry branches 10-15 cm long, set close to trunk on short pedicels; female flowers and consequently fruits in large clusters of 200-300, close to trunk on short heavy pedicels, each fruit plum-like, ovoid-oblong to 3.5 cm long and about 2 cm wide, black when ripe, red at base, with thick ivory-white flesh and small cavity in center; nuts encased in a fibrous covering which contains the oil. |
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