Syagrus schizophylla

The arikury palm is a small, usually solitary palm restricted to the coastal restingas of eastern Brazil, from Pernambuco south to northern Espírito Santo. It grows to about 12 feet on a slender stem that looks thicker than it is because of the persistent petiole bases and leaf sheaths, roughly 6 inches across with them. It is one of the few Syagrus with toothed pseudopetiole margins, an easy field character. Its glossy dark green leaves reach 6 feet, with regularly arranged leaflets that tend to split at their oblique tips, the source of the epithet. Inflorescences are borne on an unusually long peduncle, and the 1 to 1.5 inch fruits ripen bright orange-red over a sweet, fibrous, edible pulp. It is slow growing but salt tolerant, doing well in sandy, well-drained soils.

Weight: 9 oz.