Phytelephas macrocarpa is a single-stemmed, unarmed, reclining or erect palm from the extreme northern coastal regions of South America, growing to some 12 m tall. It has been introduced and cultivated in tropical regions all over the world. The trunk is about 30 cm across, with prominent leaf scars. The crown is made up of about 30 plume-like leaves or fronds, each about 8 m long, dead leaves being persistent. It is one of some 7 species of palm in the genus Phytelephas, all of which have been exploited for vegetable ivory or tagua from the seed or corozo nut. The closely related Ammandra decasperma from Colombia, and Aphandra natalia from Ecuador, are also sources of vegetable ivory, but of inferior quality and therefore not commercially significant. 'Phytelephas macrocarpa' translates to ‘elephant plant’ with 'large fruit', the endosperm of the nut having the texture of elephant ivory, and consisting of large, thick-walled cells of two long-chain polysaccharides, mannan A and B.[1][2]
^Paton, F. J.; Nanji, D. R.; Ling, A. R. (1924). "On the hydrolysis of the endosperm of Phytelephas macrocarpa by its own enzymes". Biochemical Journal. 18 (2): 451–4. doi:10.1042/bj0180451. PMC 1259438. PMID 16743327.
^Aspinall, G. O.; Hirst, E. L.; Percival, E. G. V.; Williamson, I. R. (1953). "635. The mannans of ivory nut (Phytelephas macrocarpa). Part I. The methylation of mannan A and mannan B". Journal of the Chemical Society: 3184. doi:10.1039/JR9530003184.
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