Pronunciation: ack-ruh-COE-mee-uh TOE-tie
Common Name:
Acrocomia totai was, for many years, considered a smaller version of Acrocomia aculeata, but now it seems to have established a separate identity as a true species. In appearance it is smaller than Acrocomia aculeata and has smaller crown of leaves as well, with possibly a somewhat spinier trunk, but otherwise most cannot tell these two apart (minor floral differences?).
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 12-20 feather leaves
- Height: 25'
- Trunk: single; 12" thick; intensely spiny with 2" sharp, stiff, black spines- spines eventually fall off lower trunk; closely ringed; gray; self cleaning
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 10'
- Leaf Description: pinnate; plumose; arching only slightly; light green; fine leaflets on 2 different planes on each side of the rachis; about 5' long; crown a bit sparser, in general, to that of Acrocomia aculeata; leaves have spines on rachis
- Petiole/Leaf bases: very short (almost non-existent)
- Reproduction: monoecious
- Inflorescence: within crown; 18"; broom-like
- Fruit: spherical; 1"; yellow-orange when ripe
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 25F
- Drought Tolerance: good
- Dry Heat Tolerance: good
- Wind Tolerance: good
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
- Soil Preference: adaptable
- Light Requirement: full sun
- Human Hazards: spiny trunk and leaves
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: unknown
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: poor choice
- Availability: very rare
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