Moriche Palm

Mauritia vinifera Mart.

Mauritia flexuosa, known as the moriche palm, ité palm, ita, buriti, or aguaje (Peru), is a palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and other wet areas in tropical South America.

It is an elegant tree which can reach up to 35 metres in height. The large leaves form a rounded crown. The flowers are yellowish, and appear from December to April. The fruit, which grows from December to June, is a chestnut colour and is covered with shiny scales. The yellow flesh covers a hard, oval, nut. The seeds float, and this is the means by which the palm tree propagates. In natural populations the tree reaches very high densities.