Astrocaryum aculeatum

Astrocaryum aculeatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Astrocaryum
Species: A. aculeatum
Binomial name
Astrocaryum aculeatum
G.Mey.
Synonyms

Astrocaryum tucuma Mart.
Astrocaryum aureum Griseb. & H.Wendl. in Griseb.
Astrocaryum candescens Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum princeps Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum jucuma Linden
Astrocaryum princeps var. aurantiacum Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum princeps var. flavum Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum princeps var. sulphureum Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum princeps var. vitellinum Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum manaoense Barb.Rodr.
Astrocaryum macrocarpum Huber
[1]

Astrocaryum aculeatum palm

Astrocaryum aculeatum is a palm native to tropical South America and Trinidad.[1]

Description

Astrocaryum aculeatum is a large, solitary palm.[2]

Taxonomy

Astrocaryum aculeatum was first described by German botanist Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer in 1818 based on a specimen from the Essequibo River in Guyana.[3]

Distribution

Astrocaryum aculeatum is found in and around the Amazon Basin, from Trinidad and Tobago in the north, through Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, the Brazilian states of Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and south through the Bolivian departments of Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz.[2]

Uses

This plant has edible fruit which may be used for production of biodiesel. It ontains 50,000 i.u. of vitamin A per gram of pulp, three times that of a carrot. It is also used to make a symbolic ring called a tucum ring.

Astrocaryum aculeatum (Tucuma) oil

The fruit of tucumã is composed of a woody core almost black color, containing a white almond paste, oilseed, very hard and covered with a yellow-orange pulp, little consistency and oily. Two types of oils are produced by this fruit: the oil of external pulp and almond oil. The oil is found in the fruit, as follows:[4]

Astrocaryum aculeatum(Tucuma)seed
Astrocaryum aculeatum (Tucuma)
Part of the fruit (%) (%)
Oil on external pulp 47.50 33.00
Oil on almond 32.50 to 43.50 36.50
Oil on whole seed 21.20 20.94

Cosmetics industry

The oil tucumã pulp is used to manufacture soap, body lotions, and hair products for damaged hair.

Composition fatty acid of Tucumã oil (Pulp)

Palmitic acid 25.7%
Oleic acid 65.67%
Linoleic acid 3.65%
Linolenic acid 4.97%

Physico-chemical Data

Indices Units reference values
Free fatty acids % 1.4562
Refractive Index - 1.4562
Index of Iodine gI2/100 82
Saponification value mg KOH/g 188.4
Unsaponifiable material % 1.4
Acidity mg KOH/g 2.58
Index of Peroxide meq/kg 1.72
Density g/L 0.982
Melting ° C 27-35

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Astrocaryum aculeatum Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kahn, Francis (2008). "The genus Astrocaryum (Arecaceae)" (PDF). Revista Peruvana de Biología 15 (supl. 1): 31–48. ISSN 1727-9933. no
  3. ↑ Bernal, Rodrigo (2008). "(1837) Proposal to conserve the name Astrocaryum aculeatum (Palmae) with a conserved type". Taxon 57 (3): 997–98. no
  4. ↑ PESCE, Celestino. Oleaginosas da Amazônia. –Belém: Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, 2009.