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bacaba palm

Oenocarpus bacaba Mart.

Family: Arecaceae · Genus: Oenocarpus

bacaba, turú

Climax High No biomass production
Agcandrei · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

Amazonian fruit palm, cousin of açaí. The Bosque de Niebla Guidebook (Farm Evolving timeline) includes it at the 40-year stage alongside Brazil nut and other climax fruit species. Produces oil-rich fruit (bacaba 'wine'); leaf fibers used in handicraft.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Climax
Ecological role
Climax
Primary stratum
High
Strata
High, Emergent
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Partial sun
Water requirement
High
Drought tolerance
Low
Waterlogging tolerance
Moderate
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Sandy

Morphology

Mature height
12–25 m
Recommended spacing
6–8 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
≥ 60 years
Time to first harvest
84 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Bacaba palm takes the High stratum in the Climax phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High · ≈25 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

A slow-growing plant of the moist tropics; grows in forest shade but also in full sun where the canopy is opened. Prefers a sunny, moist, well-drained position; occurs naturally in seasonally inundated areas. Single-stemmed, it starts bearing from the 5th year; each palm yields up to 3 bunches/yr of ~25 kg. Around Belém the harvest falls in the açaí off-season. No need to clean seed from pulp before sowing.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: September, October, November

Fruiting months: March, April, May, June

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of bacaba palm?

The first harvest of bacaba palm comes around 84 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for bacaba palm?

The recommended spacing for bacaba palm is 6–8 m.

How tall does bacaba palm grow?

At maturity, bacaba palm reaches 12–25 m tall.

When does bacaba palm fruit?

Fruiting of bacaba palm occurs in March, April, May, June.

When does bacaba palm flower?

Flowering of bacaba palm occurs in September, October, November.

What stage and stratum does bacaba palm occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, bacaba palm belongs to the climax stage, occupying the high stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit Oil seed Fiber Ornamental

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Bosque de Niebla (2019) — Syntropic Farming Guidebook, Farm Evolving timeline (40 years) , p. 31 (primary_stratum, gotsch_stage)
  2. Flora e Funga do Brasil — Oenocarpus bacaba Mart. (family, genus, scientific_author, biomes, flora_do_brasil)
  3. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Oenocarpus bacaba Mart. (external_ids, powo_id)
  4. Useful Tropical Plants — Oenocarpus bacaba (light_need, water_need, waterlogging_tolerance, root_system, root_depth, soil_texture_preference, cultivation_notes, propagation)
  5. Embrapa — Plantas para o Futuro (Região Norte): Oenocarpus spp. Bacaba (produção/colheita) (phenology, time_to_first_harvest_months, cultivation_notes)

External references

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