Macauba palm tree fruits (Acronomia aculeata), seeds, tropical plant, Brazil.


Acrocomia aculeata is a species of palm native to the Neotropics. Common names include grugru palm, gloo gloo, corojo, macaúba palm, coyol palm, and macaw palm; synonyms include A. lasiospatha, A. sclerocarpa, and A. vinifera. It grows up to 15–20 m tall, with a trunk up to 50 cm in diameter, characterized by numerous slender, black, viciously sharp 10 cm long spines jutting out from the trunk. The leaves are pinnate, 3–4 m long, with numerous slender, 50–100 cm long leaflets. Petioles of the leaves are also covered with spines. The flowers are small, produced on a large branched inflorescence m long. The fruit is a yellowish-green drupe –5 cm in diameter. The inner fruit shell, also called endocarp, is very tough to break and contains usually one single, dark brown, nut-like seed 1–2 cm in diameter. The inside of the seed, also called endosperm, is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste like coconut when eaten. The fruit turns yellow when ripe and has a hard outer shell. The pulp is slightly sweet and is extremely slimy and sticky.


Size: 5303px × 3535px
Location: State of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Photo credit: © Rubens Alarcon / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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