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Macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata) belongs to the Arecaceae (the Palm family). It is a tall evergreen tree that is native to tropical regions of the Americas. This tree grows up to 15-20 m tall. The trunk is up to 50 cm in diameter, characterized by numerous slender, black, viciously sharp 10 cm long spines. The leaves are pinnate, 3-4 m long, with numerous slender, 50-100 cm long leaflets. The flowers are small, produced on a large branched inflorescence 1.5 m long. The fruit is a yellowish-green drupe 2.5-5 cm in diameter. The inside of the seed, also called endosperm, is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste like coconut when eaten.
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