Ceroxylon echinulatum

Ceroxylon echinulatum
Galeano


Original
reference:

Caldasia 17: 399 (1995)


Morphology:
Canopy palm. Stem solitary, 10-25 m tall, 20-30 cm in diameter, usually grey, more rarely white with black leaf scars. Leaves to 4.5 m long; pinnae 75-90 on each side, regularly inserted in one plane, pendulous, the central ones 85-105 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, below with a thick, white to light brown, waxy tomentum. Inflorescences erect to arching, curved in fruit, to 250 cm long, branched 3 times. Fruit globose, 1-2 cm in diameter, finely warty, green, turning orange-red at maturity.



Distribution:
Premontane and lower montane forest on the E slopes of the Andes in Ecuador. Endemic.



Conservation
status:
Vulnerable


IUCN criteria:
A1c, B1, B2c

(
Borchsenius & Skov 1999)

Common
names:

Palma de Ramo

Spanish

(H. Balslev #62488).

Pumbo

Spanish

(A. Barfod #60173).

Uses:

The basal part of the peduncle of young inflorescences is edible, cooked and mixed with other vegetables
(A. Barfod #60173).

The leaves are used for weaving ceremonial baskets used during the easter time
(H. Balslev #62488).

The seeds are eaten by pigs, and palms are left and protected in pasture so that the pigs can feed on the fruits when they fall
(H. Balslev #62488).

The stem is used for fence poles
(H. Balslev #62488).

The wax covering on the stem is scraped off and used for candles
(J.A. Steyermark #54130).


Specimen
list