Astrocaryum murumuru

Abstract

Armed with enormous spines, people nevertheless take the trouble to harvest the fruits in floodplain forests. This pin cushion palm has a strong affinity with humans and it can be difficult to tell distinguish stands are “natural” and from those that are a result of planting by people and the passing of seeds by cattle in their dung. Indeed, this relatively short, sprawling palm is often associated with archaeological sites containing anthropogenic dark soil. In addition to eating the pulp and nuts, grubs are removed from the endocarps for use as fish bait.