Socratea exorrhiza
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| Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) H.Wendl. |
Socratea exorrhiza, the Walking Palm, is a palm native to rainforests in tropical Central and South America. Its common name arises from the fact that the tree's stilt roots enable it to slowly shift position, up to 1 metre a year to get more sunlight.
This tree grows to 12 metres in height. Its trunk is used in the construction of houses and other structures. It is usually split length-wise before it is used, but it can also be hollowed out and used as a tube.
The inner part of the stilt roots is used as a male aphrodisiac.
[edit] References
- Schultes, Richard E. (1974). Palms and religion in the northwest Amazon. Principes 18 (1): 3-21. Astrocaryum vulgare, Bactris gasipaes, Euterpe oleracea, E. precatoria, Leopoldinia piassaba, Maximiliana martiana, Oenocarpus bacaba, Socratea exorrhiza
- Rainforest Conservation
- La Selva digital flora (Spanish)
[edit] See also
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