PINDÓ PALM: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, DISEASES - BIOLOGY - 2025

The pindó palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) is a very popular tropical-looking palm species belonging to the Arecaceae family. Its fruits are edible and look like dates with high nutritional content.

It is commonly known as pindó, jeribá, guariroba, queen palm, queen palm, feathery coconut, sapo coco, puppy coco, chiriva palm, monte palm. It is one of the most rustic and elegant species of palm trees that, together with Washingtonia and Phoenix, represent the most used urban palm trees worldwide.

Syagrus romanzoffiana is a species with a tropical appearance. Source: Pásztörperc at Hungarian Wikipedia

It is formed by a single long stem, about 15 m high, with a crown formed by pinnate leaves that reaches up to 3 m. It has large leaves of up to 6 cm, with numerous leaflets that give it an appearance of messy fringes or feathers. It is a monoecious species whose flowers are grouped in inflorescences up to 1.5 m long.

Being a fast growing, highly available and inexpensive species, it is an increasingly popular choice among growers. It resists -8 ° C frost, does not require pruning and has a high resistance to wind, although somewhat less to drought and salinity.

It is used for the construction of cabins, roofs, ropes, as ornamental, edible (fruits and shoots), and its clusters of flowers or fruits as decorative, among others.

characteristics

Appearance

It is a long-stemmed, unicaule palm tree, measuring between 10 and 15 m high or more and 35 to 50 cm in diameter. In general, the palm tree has a disorderly (feathery) fringed appearance caused by the numerous leaflets that make up its leaves.

The trunk is gray and has ring-shaped scars from fallen leaves. It has a crown formed by pinnate leaves measuring 2 to 3 m.

The pindó palm has a gray, ringed bark. Source: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz

Leaves

The leaves are green, devoid of pubescence, up to 6 m long, their apex is acuminate and symmetrical. The rachis is 2.5 to 4.4 m long, arched, and has 150 to 250 leaflets on each side.

It has unarmed petioles, although they have fibers on their edges and between their veins.

flowers

The pindó palm is a monoecious species. The flowers are grouped in highly branched inflorescences that are 1.5 m long and contain 80 to 280 rachillae. The flowers are creamy white, yellow or light yellow. They are produced in the palm tree since it reaches a height of 5 or 6 m.

The peduncle that supports the inflorescence has two bracts, one called the prophyla, which is short and goes unnoticed, since it is hidden between the pods and does not differ from them due to its color similar to these; and the peduncular bract, much larger, woody and with a curvilinear and stylized shape which remains like a raised sword even when the fruits hang under their own weight.

Inflorescences of the pindó palm tree. Source: João Medeiros

Fruit

The fruits are ovoid (similar to dates) and are 2 to 3 cm long by 1 to 2 cm in diameter, yellow or orange in color. Its fruiting occurs up to four times a year.

Chemical composition of the fruits

In general, the composition of the fruits includes phenols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and proteins.

Some researchers have differentiated the composition of the fruit according to its shape, whether they are oval or spherical. In this sense, spherical fruits contain more vitamin C, while the content of proteins and carotenoids is similar between both forms of fruit.

Taxonomy

The name of the species is dedicated to the Russian Nicolás Romanzoff, who financed botanical expeditions. Syagrus romanzoffiana can form a hybrid with Butia capitata and produce Butiagrus.

-Kingdom: Plantae

-Filo: Tracheophyta

-Class: Liliopsida

-Order: Arecales

-Family: Arecaceae

-Gender: Syagrus

-Species: Syagrus romanzoffiana

This palm species also has some synonyms such as Arecastrum romanzoffianum, Arecastrum romanzoffianum var. australe, Arecastrum romanzoffianum var. genuinum, Arecastrum romanzoffianum var. micropindo, Calappa acrocomioides, Calappa australis, Calappa date, Calappa martiana, Calappa plumosa, Calappa romanzoffiana, Cocos acrocomioides, Cocos arechavaletana, Cocos australis, Cocos date, Cocos geriba, Cocos martiana, Cocos plumosa, Cocos romanzoffiana.

The fruits of the pindó palm are edible. Source: João Medeiros

Habitat and distribution

This palm tree is distributed and is native to the center and southeast of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay. It can also be found in Florida, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago. Curiously, it is the only species of this genus that is cultivated in cities of Mexico.

The pindó palm lives in well-drained soils, between acidic and neutral, rich or poor, but without iron and magnesium deficiency. Normally they are obtained in places exposed directly to the sun, it requires a lot of humidity in summer while in winter it resists -8 ° C frosts.

In nature it appears on the banks of rivers and humid areas, and it is associated with species such as Butia yatay, Copernicia alba, Acrocomia aculeata, among others.

Applications

The fruits are edible, rich in oils and proteins. They are used for fermented beverages and as fresh food.

The fruits are suitable for making pulp flour. Spherical fruits especially have higher nutritional content and are useful for obtaining edible oils and as part of balanced diets.

The leaves, trunk and shoots are transformed and stored as flour. Sprouts are also eaten roasted or boiled in soups.

The logs are collapsed to be used as raw material for the rearing of edible larvae. The heart of the palm is edible (palm heart).

The wood is durable and is used to build various artifacts (beds, mortars, containers, cleaning supplies) and for funeral constructions. In addition, with its trunks and leaves, huts, walls and roofs of houses are built.

On the other hand, the fibers of the leaves are used to make bow strings and useful material for making ties. The leaves are also used to build mats and baskets.

It is also used as an ornamental species in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. It is widely used at the entrances of houses or by the pools. Likewise, it is a palm tree widely used for alignments or in groups.

Both the inflorescences in full flowering period and when they are loaded with fruits serve as decorative elements.

How to plant

Initially, the propagation of these palms is by seeds. To do this, the fruits must be collected when they are green and not completely ripe. This is to speed germination.

The germination process takes about two months in the case of green fruits, but if the fruits were harvested ripe, it can take from 3 to 5 months. In any case, germination requires a high temperature, at least for several hours during the day.

In addition, it is advisable to keep the seeds hydrated for at least a week and change the water several times to oxygenate it. With regard to the pulp of the seed, it must be cleaned or removed completely because this pulp prevents germination.

Once germinated and of a suitable size for transplantation, transplantation can easily be carried out with small root balls.

The leaves of the pindó palm have a disorderly fringed appearance due to their numerous leaflets. Source: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz

Culture

Floor

The pindó palm must be placed in slightly acidic soil, that is, with a pH between 5 and 7. When it is found in a limestone or poor type of soil, iron and manganese must be added to avoid chlorosis.

Temperature

This palm tree does well in temperate or warm regions as long as it is planted in the type of soil already indicated. It resists frost down to -8 ° C.

Irrigation

With regard to irrigation, this must be done frequently but without exceeding the amount of water. It is advisable to water them between 3 and 4 times a week in hot seasons and the rest of the seasons of the year you can water one or a maximum of two times a week. However, in winter it can be watered once a month.

Light

This palm tree, precisely because of its tropical nature, requires good direct exposure to sunlight. Therefore, it is not recommended to have it inside the houses.

Fertilizer

As long as it is potted, it should be topped with 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer twice a month during the summer.

Diseases

Although Syagrus romanzoffiana is one of the palm tree species most resistant to pests and diseases, under certain environmental conditions it can be attacked by diseases such as:

Root rot

This condition is caused by fungi such as Phythium and Phytophthora. These fungi are present in the soil, and if they are found around the palm tree they can infect it through its roots.

In this case, when the soil humidity is high or the rain is frequent and there are no high temperatures that can minimize this humidity, the spores begin to infect the roots and cause discoloration of the stems, wilting of the leaves and necrotizing of the roots..

Root and stem rot

For its part, stem and root rot of this palm tree is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia sp. Like the Phythium and Phytophthora fungi, this phytopathogen can enter the plant through its roots.

To avoid its entry into the plant, it should not be watered when there is a rainy season and there is no direct exposure to the sun. The main symptom is wilting of the leaves. To combat this infection, fungicides can be used, in the case of being able to save the plant if not all the leaves wither. Also, wilted leaves must be removed.

References

1. Bonomo, M., Capeletti, LE 2014. Pre-Hispanic use of the Syagrus romanzoffiana and Butia yatay palms in northeastern Argentina: contributions from ethnography and biometrics. Museum Magazine of Anthropology 7 (2): 227-234.
2. Rompato, K., Franco, R., Somoza, S., Rompato, LS 2015. Nutritional composition of fruits of Syagrus romanzoffiana (pindó) native to Formosa-Argentina. Curitiba 33 (2): 105-112.
3. Henderson, A., Galeano-Garces, G., Bernal, R. Syagrus romanzoffiana. In: Field guide to the palms of the Americas. Taken from: books.google.co.ve
4. Del Cañizo, JA 2011. Syagrus romanzoffiana (Chamisso) Glassman. In: Palm trees, all genera and 565 species. 3rd ed. Editions Mundi-Prensa. Pages 582-583. Taken from: books.google.co.ve
5. Universe palm trees. 2019. File of the Syagrus romanzoffiana or feathery coconut. Taken from: universopalmeras.com
6. Catalog of Life: 2019 Annual Checklist. Species details: Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman.
7. Infojardin. 2019. Syagrus romanzoffiana. Taken from: chips.infojardin.com
8. Botanical Garden. 2019. Syagrus romanzoffiana. Taken from: jardinbotanico.uma.es
9. Palm trees and gardens in southwestern Europe. 2019. Syagrus romanzoffiana. Taken from: palmerasyjardines.com
10. Conabio. 2019. Feathery coconut Syagrus romanzoffiana. Taken from: biodiversity.gob.mx
11. Rico, L. 2017. Diseases of the pindó palm tree. Taken from: ehowenespanol.com