Acrocomia crispa

Acrocomia crispa

The cuban belly palm (Acrocomia crispa (Kunth) C.F.Baker ex. Becc.) is an arboreal palm 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. crispa.
The term is basionim:
– Cocos crispa Kunth.
The terms are synonyms:
– Acrocomia armentalis (Morales) L.H.Bailey & E.Z.Bailey;
– Astrocaryum crispum (Kunth) M.Gómez;
– Cocos crispa Kunth;
– Gastrococos armentalis Morales;
– Gastrococos crispa (Kunth) H.E.Moore.

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 crispa epithet comes from the Latin crispus, which means “curled” or “wavy”. The Latin term is in turn derived from the Indo-European root “sker-“, which indicates the idea of bending, curving or curling. In botany it is used to describe leaves that have ripples or wavy edges.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
The Acrocomia crispa is a palm endemic to Cuba and present in the Caribbean area.
Its habitat is that of flat and arid lands on calcareous soils, sometimes occupying large areas and also persisting in fields and other disturbed areas; at low altitude.

Description –
Acrocomia crispa is a spiny, tall palm that can grow up to 10 meters in height (usually 5-7 meters) with a thin stem at the base and top but swollen in the centre.
When young, the trunk is surrounded by numerous rings formed by long dark spines, these also cover the following parts of the large leaves or stems: the central rachis, the midrib of the segments and the lamina.
The trunks are densely prickly, but become smooth and gray as the trunk ages.
The trees have 10-20 leaves up to 3 meters tall with approximately opposite leaflets. The leaves are pinnate, thorny, with pinnules, dark green on the upper side and light blue-green on the lower side, they are distributed at different angles on the rachis.
The thorny inflorescences form between the leaves and bear yellow flowers of both sexes.
It blooms in spring and its flowers are visited by bees.
The fruits are globose, of an orange-yellow colour, of about 2.5 cm in diameter, and contain a good quantity of oil used for food purposes.
Each fructescence can contain about 2,000 – 3,000 fruits.
Inside there is a white nut, solid, with the same flavor as the dry coconut mass, a little softer.

Cultivation –
Acrocomia crispa is an evergreen palm that is harvested from the wild for local use as food, medicine and source of materials.
Despite the widespread presence of thorns and the slow growth, it is a species of great ornamental value to be utilized in wide spaces and in full sun in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones; as an adult it bears long periods of drought and minimum temperatures of the order of -2/-3 °C for short periods.
The plant often begins flowering and fruiting around 6-8 years of age, although it can take up to 18 years.
Plants often flower and fruit twice a year in their natural environment.
It grows mainly on calcareous soils.
Propagation occurs by seed; this should be sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in individual containers. A low germination rate can usually be expected, with the seed taking over a year to germinate.
Some people scarify the seed and then soak it in water for several weeks to germinate.

Customs and Traditions –
Acrocomia crispa was first described as Cocos crispa by Carl Sigismund Kunth in 1816 based on an incomplete specimen collected by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland. In 1866 Sebastián Alfredo de Morales described Gastrococcus armentalis on the basis of a distinct species. Although Morales was able to examine the specimen on which Kunth’s species was based, he concluded that the two collections represented different species. In 1912, based on Charles Fuller Baker’s description, Odoardo Beccari published a formal description of Acrocomia crispa, in which he included Kunth’s C. cripsa.
The plant is called by various names: corojo in Cuba; palma de corojos also in Cuba; palm barrigona, in other Spanish-speaking countries; palmera barrigona, in other Spanish-speaking countries; palmera barrigona cubana, in other Spanish-speaking countries, cuban belly palm in Anglo-Saxon countries.
This plant has edible uses.
The fruits contain a delicate, edible albumin, which can provide a quantity of oil.
The taste of the fresh seed is somewhat similar to that of coconut but has no purgative properties.
The heart of the plant can also be consumed.
In the medicinal field, the wine and brandy made from the fruit are said to have medicinal properties, including the treatment of some forms of asthma.
Among other uses, it should be remembered that the rachis of the leaves contains strong and elastic fibers which are used to make ropes and twine. This rope is very strong and durable.
The sharp thorns found throughout the plant are traditionally used as toothpicks and hairpins.

Method of Preparation –
Acrocomia crispa is used in the food sector. Its edible parts include the fruit, seeds and heart of the plant.
The fruits can be eaten raw or used to prepare juices, jellies, jams and preserves.
The seeds can be eaten after being dried and roasted. They have a nut-like flavor and can be used as a snack or as an ingredient in various dishes, such as salads, cereals or desserts.
From Acrocomia crispa it is possible to obtain an edible oil which is rich in essential fatty acids and is used for cooking, frying or as a salad dressing.
The “heart” of the plant, i.e. the newly sprouted central shoot, is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. It is often used in culinary preparations as an ingredient in salads, soups and vegetable dishes.

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/119719540/original.jpg
– https://sweetgum.nybg.org/images3/945/093/1662976.jpg

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.