Macaúba palm

The spiny mbokaja palm provides oil, coquito treats and fragrant flowers that Paraguayans use to decorate their Christmas nativity scenes.

Acrocomia aculeata is a palm growing to 10–15 m, with a trunk often bristling with long black spines and a crown of pinnate leaves that are spiny too. Its large inflorescences, sheathed in a woody spathe, give off a strong, sweet scent. The round, yellow-green fruits, 3–5 cm across, have fibrous, sweet, oily flesh and a very hard stone with an edible, oily seed. Edible and industrial oil is pressed from the flesh and seeds, and fibre is obtained from the leaves.

Significance in the country

The mbokaja grows in pastures and fields throughout eastern Paraguay, and its fruit and seeds have long been used here to make oil, soap and animal feed. Its fragrant flowers – flor de coco – are the traditional decoration of the Paraguayan pesebre, or Christmas nativity scene, and sucking the sweet fruits is a children’s treat.

Where it grows

In pastures, scrub, fields and at forest edges throughout eastern Paraguay, from Concepción and Amambay to Itapúa and Ñeembucú.

More: Wikipedia (en)