Acrocomia aculeata

Acrocomia aculeata

The grugru palm or gloo gloo, corojo, macaúba palm, coyol palm, macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.) is an arboreal species belonging to the Arecaceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta division,
Class Liliopsida,
Subclass Arecidae,
Arecales Order,
Arecaceae family,
Tribe Cocoseae,
Subtribe Bactridinae,
Genus Acrocomia,
Species A. aculeata.
The term is basionym:
– Cocos aculeata Jacq..
The terms are synonyms:
– Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd.;
– Acrocomia antiguana L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia antioquiensis Posada-Ar.;
– Acrocomia belizensis L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia christopherensis L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia chunta Covas & Ragonese;
– Acrocomia cubensis Lodd.;
– Acrocomia cubensis Lodd. ex H.Wendl.;
– Acrocomia erioacantha Barb.Rodr.;
– Acrocomia fusiformis (Sw.) Sweet;
– Acrocomia glaucophylla Drude;
– Acrocomia globosa (Gaertn.) Lodd.;
– Acrocomia globosa (Gaertn.) Lodd. ex Mart.;
– Acrocomia grenadana L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia guianensis Lodd.;
– Acrocomia guianensis Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Acrocomia horrida Lodd.;
– Acrocomia horrida Lodd. ex Mart.;
– Acrocomia hospes L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia ierensis L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia karukerana L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia lasiospatha Mart.;
– Acrocomia mexicana Karw.;
– Acrocomia mexicana Karw. ex Mart.;
– Acrocomia mexicana var. vinifera Oerst.;
– Acrocomia mexicana var. vinifera Oerst. ex Ant.Molina;
– Acrocomia microcarpa Barb.Rodr.;
– Acrocomia minor Lodd.;
– Acrocomia minor Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Acrocomia mokayayba Barb.Rodr.;
– Acrocomia odorata Barb.Rodr.;
– Acrocomia panamensis L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia pilosa León;
– Acrocomia quisqueyana L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia sclerocarpa Mart.;
– Acrocomia sclerocarpa var. wallaceana Drude;
– Acrocomia sphaerocarpa Desf.;
– Acrocomia spinosa (Mill.) H.E.Moore;
– Acrocomia subinermis León;
– Acrocomia subinermis León ex L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia tenuifrons Lodd.;
– Acrocomia tenuifrons Lodd. ex Mart.;
– Acrocomia ulei Dammer;
– Acrocomia viegasii L.H.Bailey;
– Acrocomia vinifera Oerst.;
– Acrocomia wallaceana (Drude) Becc.;
– Acrocomia zapotecis Karw.;
– Acrocomia zapotecis Karw. ex H.Wendl.;
– Astrocaryum sclerocarpum H.Wendl.;
– Bactris globosa Gaertn.;
– Bactris minor Gaertn.;
– Bactris pavoniana Griseb., 1864;
– Bactris pavoniana Mart.;
– Cocos fusiformis Sw.;
– Palma mocaia Aubl.;
– Palma spinosa Mill..

Etymology –
The term Acrocomia comes from the Greek adjective “ἀκρόκομος” (acrocomos), i.e. leafy, leafy at the top, in turn derived from the nouns “ἄκρος” (acros), i.e. top, tip and “κόμη” (come), i.e. foliage, with reference to the thick crown at the top of the stem.
The specific aculeata epithet comes from the Latin “aculeatus, a, um”, i.e. aculeato, equipped with spines, due to the long spines with which it is provided.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
The species is native to a vast range which includes tropical America going from southern Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean: Venezuelan Antilles, Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala, Guyana, French Guiana, Haiti, Honduras, Leeward Islands, Leeward Islands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. It is also present on the island of Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles. It has also been successfully introduced in Florida and California.
Its habitat in these areas is that of arid lands and semi-deciduous open forests, where it is present in both dense primary formations and more open secondary formations, which favor fertile soils in the valleys and on the lower hill slopes.
In these areas, it grows in various types of soil, except the flooded ones, even if it seems to prefer sandy and well drained soils, even in high altitude zones up to 1200 m of altitude.

Description –
Acrocomia aculeata is a single-stemmed evergreen palm that grows 10 to 15 meters tall.
The stem is thorny and unbranched and can have a diameter of 25 – 45 cm; it is light gray in colour, covered, except in the oldest part, by rings of dense blackish thorns, 3-10 cm long, and on which the annular traces of the attachments of the fallen leaves are evident.
The crown is dense with pinnate leaves, 3-4 m long, with numerous linear leaflets with acute apex, 40-80 cm long and 1-2 cm broad, of color ranging from dark green to green-grey to bluish green above, whitish inferiorly, arranged irregularly and at different angles along the rachis. The petiole is 10-30 cm long, rachis and foliar base, which only partially wraps around the stem, provided with thorns of various length and facing in different directions.
The inflorescences grow between the leaves and are 1,5-1,8 m long, initially enclosed in a woody bract covered by a reddish tomentum and provided by robust spines towards the apex, with first order ramifications bearing unisexual flowers on the same inflorescence , of pale yellow color and emanating a penetrating smell, the females arranged at the base of the ramifications, the males at the apex.
The fruits are globose, of yellowish green color when ripe, of 3,5-5 cm of diameter, containing only one seed.

Cultivation –
Acrocomia aculeata is a palm that is often used by the local population as a source of food and various materials.
It is normally harvested in the wild but is sometimes also cultivated as an ornamental plant.
It is a plant of semi-arid to very humid lowland regions of the tropics, where it is usually found below an altitude of 1,000 meters.
It grows best in areas where temperatures never drop below 10 °C, preferring an average annual temperature between 25 and 35 °C, while tolerating 20-45 °C.
The average annual rainfall it prefers is 1,000 – 2,000 mm, although it can tolerate 500 – 3,000 mm.
It prefers sunny positions and, from a pedological point of view, requires a well-drained and rich soil, although it also succeeds in poor soils; it prefers a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, although it can tolerate between 5 and 7.5.
The mature plants are drought tolerant and are very slow growing. In fact, germination is not fast; in nature the seed takes 1 to 5 years to germinate, there is no known proven technique to speed up germination, although some people scarify the seed and then soak it in water for several weeks to germinate.
The seed must previously be cleaned of the pulp, scarified and kept in water for several days, in draining loam kept humid at a temperature of 24-28 °C, preferably in single containers, with germination times ranging from a few months to a few years. Once germinated, it grows rapidly.
The deep root system makes the plant resistant to forest fires.
Its main parasite is a caterpillar of a butterfly (Brassolis sophorae Linnaeus, 1758) which feeds on its leaves, even if it is not very common and does not cause the death of the plant.

Customs and Traditions –
Acrocomia aculeata is a plant known by various names, among these we remember: macaw palm, crane-crane (English); totai (Bolivia); bocaiúva, coco-baboso, coco-catarro, coco-de-espinho, macaiba, macajuba, macauba, macauva, mucaja, mucajuba (Brazil); corozo, tamaco (Colombia); coyol (Costa Rica); Corosse (Haiti); coyol (Mexico); corozo (Venezuela).
It is a plant that grows in various climatic situations; in Paraguay, for example, where it is ubiquitous, it is called coco paraguayo (Paraguayan coconut), as it is much less common in the rest of the world. It has been suggested that the nuts of this palm can be used in the production of biodiesel.
The walnut, while very hard, can be cut into thin circles to be smoothed and worn as rings. A liquid can be obtained from the trunk of the palm tree to make a fermented alcoholic beverage known as coyol wine.
The fruit is industrialized only in Paraguay and is fully usable, it consists of 15 to 20% of the shell (livestock feed, fuel for ovens). The pulp constitutes from 30 to 40% of the weight of the fruit and its oleic content varies from 20% to 47% (cake used in animal feed). The exocarp makes up 30-40% of the fruit (boiler fuel, raw material for high-quality coal). From 7 to 12% is represented by the almond, which is oily at 50-60% (edible cake for animals and humans).
The indigenous peoples and mestizo population of Paraguay use the fiber of its leaves to make threads from which they make bags and other utilitarian objects such as hammocks.
The flower is sold throughout December in Paraguay to decorate and perfume the manger, and there is even a carol with the lyrics of “Christmas de Flor de Coco, Christmas of Paraguay”.
In Honduras, precisely in the department of Olancho, the sap of the stem is extracted, producing a fermented drink called “Coyol Wine” which is made in the summer. To remove the wine, the palm is cut, placing it horizontally, a small incision is made to extract the liquid in the morning and at sunset, this often generates excessive exchanges. The wine contains alcohol, which is why it is in great demand by the population and by tourists who come to the area in search of an exotic drink. The wine is also used against parasites when drunk on an empty stomach.
In Bolivia it is generally used to feed horses, the fruits are very welcome when they are ripe and when they are dry the coconut is split and the “calucha” is removed, which is very tasty.
It is a plant of notable elegance and grandeur whose use as an ornamental, in parks and gardens, is partly limited by the presence of the dangerous thorns on the stem, which require it to be kept away from transit and parking areas.
In its places of origin, where it is widely spread, the palm is of great use to the local populations, the long-lasting stems are used in rural constructions, the leaves to make ropes, mats, fishing nets and various other objects crafts, the fruits as feed for livestock and the oil extracted from them for various uses, even culinary if refined, which has very promising characteristics for its large-scale production.
Due to its long thorns, it is certainly not suitable for passageways, but offers the natives textile fibres, edible oil and fruits for livestock. From the apex of the stem, by sacrificing the plant, “edible palm hearts” and abundant sap are obtained for an alcoholic drink known in Venezuela as “vino de corozo”.
In the food field, the fruits are consumed which are sometimes sold in local markets, especially in Mexican markets.
A starch can be obtained from the marrow of the trunk and from the roots.
The marrow of the trunk, as mentioned, can be fermented to produce an alcoholic beverage.
The fruit is eaten cooked; it is full of oil which can be quite bitter.
The pulp is yellowish in color, fibrous, mucilaginous and slightly sweet. The sweet and pulpy part of the fruit is eaten raw.
The seed can be toasted and a high quality oil can be obtained from the kernel of the seed; once refined it can be used for cooking.
The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The apical shoot, known as the ‘heart of palm’ is eaten; however if the apical shoot is removed the tree is doomed to a slow death as it is unable to produce lateral branches.
The oils from the seeds and pulp are used in the manufacture of soaps, called coconut.
The leaves are furthermore used as fodder for rustic cattle; after careful maceration, a fiber is extracted which is useful for making ropes, nets, etc.
In the medicinal field the roots are used.
In the Mexican state of Chiapas the stem of the plant is used, called taverna, a very typical drink of the municipalities of Chicomuselo and Villaflores as it contains alcoholic substances and is used in the months from March to May. In Oaxaca this species is used against worms (intestinal parasites), which are fought by chewing the seeds. In Quintana Roo an infusion is prepared with the roots to cure diabetes.
Other uses include agroforestry; when growing wild, the plant is seen as an indicator of good, fertile soils.
Among other uses, a useful string can be obtained from the leaves by tearing strips of the desired width from the leaves.
A good quality fiber is obtained from the leaves. Fortissimo, it is used to make ropes and cordage.
From the kernel of the seed a high quality oil can be obtained which can be used to make soap; another oil can be obtained from the pulp of the fruit, this too is used to make soap.
The very hard endocarp that encloses the seed can be cut into rings or carved and drilled to be used as rosary beads; it is also used for making jewelry and buttons.
The shaft consists of a concise central section surrounded by a wooden ring. This exterior wood is moderately heavy, hard, and very strong. It is used locally as beams and battens in rural buildings.

Method of Preparation –
Acrocomia aculeata is a plant whose fruits are edible and can be used to prepare various dishes.
The harvest of the fruits takes place when they are fully ripe. The fruits are large and golden-yellow in color when ready to be eaten.
To prepare the fruit, the hard outer shell must be removed.
Once the shell is removed, the seed that is inside will have to be extracted. The seeds can be large and covered with a fibrous pulp. It will be necessary to carefully remove this pulp to obtain only the seed.
After extracting the seeds, they can be prepared in several ways:
– Roasting: this can be done in a pan or in the oven at a moderate temperature until they are lightly browned. The roasted seeds can be eaten as a crunchy snack.
– The seeds can also be dried in the sun or in a food dehydrator. Once dried, they can be ground into a powder which can be used as an ingredient in various recipes.
– The seeds can be ground into a flour that can be used to prepare bread, cakes or biscuits.
– Acrocomia aculeata seeds contain a significant amount of oil. This oil can be extracted and used for cooking or as a salad dressing.
– The seeds of can be used in various culinary recipes. The flour or oil can be added to doughs to prepare breads, sweets or savory dishes. Additionally, the seeds can be used as a condiment or as an ingredient in salads, smoothies or smoothies.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/281730816/original.jpeg

Attention: The pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; we therefore decline all responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.