Posts Tagged ‘arecaceae’
Mauritiana flexuosa - Morete
Posted by: The Lorax in: ● October 10, 2008
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Morete palm, growing in the central square of Mera, Pastaza Province. These tall palms are a fairly common sight in the Pastaza Province, where they are used as boulevard trees, and are also seen in family gardens for their grace and large, edible fruits.
Morete produces large, scaly fruits that resemble giant lychee, and which are extremely high in vitamin C. A reddish oil high in beta-carotene can be extracted from the seeds, and this has shown great promise as a burn-relief oil. Quichua peoples of the area also eat young shoots (heart of palm) as a green vegetable.
Parajubea cocoides - Quito Palm
Posted by: The Lorax in: ● June 26, 2008
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Parajubea cocoides, growing in Quito, Pichincha Province. This is one of only three species in the genus Parajubea; the other two are native to highland Bolivia. The Quito Palm is named after the city where it is found most abundantly; it thrives at the high altitudes and eternal springtime conditions of Ecuador’s capital. It is a long-lived and fairly slow-growing tree, and can attain heights of up to 20 meters in about 50-80 years. The parks of Quito contain some of the oldest specimens - Parque Alameda and Parque Central hold the record trees, which are close to 200 years old. Propagation is by seed.
In addition to forming a graceful tree, the small fruits of the Quito Palm are edible, with a flavour similar to coconuts. It is rare to see any on the ground in Quito, as children normally snatch them up to eat them as soon as they fall.
