Euterpe oleracea

Abstract

Euterpe oleracea is one of the most economically important palms in the Amazon Basin because its fruits are widely used to make a savory juice. Propelled by a growing interest in fruits with antioxidant properties, açaí fruit juice can now be found in many industrial countries. Widespread in lowland northern South America, it is difficult to ascertain the range of this palm before people arrived on the continent. Groves of the palm can often be attributed to abandoned homesites where seeds were discarded. Some farmers also sow the seeds in their fields so that they can come back after annual crops have been harvested in order to gather the fruits. Old palms are often cut down for palmito.