Iriartea deltoidea

Abstract

This tall, stilt-rooted palm develops a distinctive bulge in its trunk towards the top in some areas, the purpose of which remains unclear. A denizen of upland forests in central and western Amazonia it can form relatively dense stands in the foothills of the Andes. The cultural uses of this widespread palm appear to be waning with modernization. For example, the trunks are rarely split in the Brazilian Amazon for flooring since sawn lumber has become widely available in recent decades. However, the Matis still fashion their famously long blowguns with the palm stem. The fruits are not eaten, though game animals consume them. In some areas, grubs are extracted from the fallen trunks and cooked.