''Oenocarpus'' is a genus of pinnate-leaved palms (Arecaceae) native to Trinidad, southern

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and tropical South America. (2004): World Checklist of Arecaceae &ndash
''Oenocarpus''
The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2008-DEC-24. With nine species and one natural hybrid, the genus is distributed from

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and Trinidad in the north to Brazil and

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

in the south. Common names in their native range are ''bacaba'' in Brazil, and ''palma milpesos'' (or just ''milpesos'') in Spanish-speaking countries. These terms may also refer to the best-known member of this genus, '' O. bacaba'', but more precise common names exist for that species. The fruit of ''Oenocarpus'' palms are food for various animals, such as the green aracari (''

Pteroglossus viridis The green araçari (''Pteroglossus viridis''), is a toucan, a near-passerine bird. It is found in the lowland forests of northeastern South America (the Guiana Shield), in the northeast Amazon Basin, the Guianas and the eastern Orinoco River drain ...

'') for which ''O. bacaba'' fruit are a mainstay food. They are also locally eaten by humans, and these palms are also used in folk medicine. Their wood is useful for handicraft and the fruits can also be used to produce oil, which is of excellent quality and was used as a substitute for

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

during WW2.

List of species

The currently accepted species of ''Oenocarpus'' are: * ''

Oenocarpus × andersonii ''Oenocarpus'' is a genus of pinnate-leaved palms (Arecaceae) native to Trinidad, southern Central and tropical South America. (2004): World Checklist of Arecaceae &ndash''Oenocarpus'' The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Re ...

'' Balick - northwestern Brazil (''O. bacaba × O. minor'') * '' Oenocarpus bacaba'' Mart, - Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, the Guianas —''bacaba açu, bacaba-de-leque, bacaba verdadeira'' ( Brazil), ''manoco, punáma'' (

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

), ''camon'' ( French Guiana), ''ungurauy'' ( Peru), ''koemboe'' (

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

) * ''

Oenocarpus balickii ''Oenocarpus'' is a genus of pinnate-leaved palms (Arecaceae) native to Trinidad, southern Central and tropical South America. (2004): World Checklist of Arecaceae &ndash''Oenocarpus'' The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Re ...

'' F.Kahn — northwestern Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador - ''sinamillo'' * '' Oenocarpus bataua'' Mart. — Panama, Trinidad, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, the Guianas - ''

mingucha ''Oenocarpus bataua'', the patawa, sehe, hungurahua (Ecuador) or mingucha, is a palm tree native to the Amazon rainforest. The tree produces edible fruits rich in high-quality oil.Vallejo Rendón, Darío 2002. "Oenocarpus bataua, seje"; ''Colombi ...

'', ''

ungurahui ''Oenocarpus bataua'', the patawa, sehe, hungurahua (Ecuador) or mingucha, is a palm tree native to the Amazon rainforest. The tree produces edible fruits rich in high-quality oil.Vallejo Rendón, Darío 2002. "Oenocarpus bataua, seje"; ''Colombi ...

'' * ''

Oenocarpus circumtextus ''Oenocarpus circumtextus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is found only in Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America� ...

'' Mart. - Colombia, Amazonas State of Brazil * ''

Oenocarpus distichus ''Oenocarpus distichus'' is a species of palm, commonly in the southeast of the Amazonia. It is distinguished from turu palm by the notorial appearance of its opposite leaves. Clay, Jason; Paulo de Tarso B. Sampaio; e Charles R. Clement (2000). ...

'' Mart. - Bolivia, Peru, Brazil * ''

Oenocarpus makeru ''Oenocarpus makeru'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is found only in Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—nea ...

'' R.Bernal, Galeano & A.J.Hend. - Colombia * ''

Oenocarpus mapora ''Oenocarpus'' is a genus of pinnate-leaved Arecaceae, palms (Arecaceae) native to Trinidad, southern Central America, Central and tropical South America. (2004): World Checklist of Arecaceae &ndash''Oenocarpus'' The Board of Trustees of the Roy ...

'' H.Karst. - Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica - (= ''O. multicaulis, O. panamanus'') * ''

Oenocarpus minor ''Oenocarpus'' is a genus of pinnate-leaved Arecaceae, palms (Arecaceae) native to Trinidad, southern Central America, Central and tropical South America. (2004): World Checklist of Arecaceae &ndash''Oenocarpus'' The Board of Trustees of the Roy ...

'' Mart. - Colombia, Amazonas State of Brazil * ''

Oenocarpus simplex ''Oenocarpus simplex'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is found only in Colombia and Panama. References simplex In geometry, a simplex (plural: simplexes or simplices) is a generalization of the notion of a t ...

'' R.Bernal, Galeano & A.J.Hend. - Colombia, Amazonas State of Brazil

References

Arecaceae genera Neotropical realm flora {{tree-stub