phytelephas การใช้

• On seasonal floodplains " Phytelephas " forms large stands known as taguales in Colombia and Ecuador-flooding rivers distribute the heavy seeds along the floodplains.
• 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 genus name is a combination of " Ammandra " and " Phytelephas ", two closely related palm genera, and the epithet " " natalia " " honors Natalie Uhl, modern palm taxonomist.
• The endosperm is a white hemicellulose material that is so hard it can be polished and carved like ivory . ( The plant's genus name " Phytelephas " means " elephant plant " . ) Three other species in this genus are sources of vegetable ivory as well.
• The genus " Phytelephas " is essentially northern South American and grows along the Caribbean coastal lowlands of Colombia and Panama, and the Pacific coastal lowlands of Ecuador and Peru . " Phytelephas " species usually occur on low-altitude alluvial soils in river valleys where soil temperatures are greater than 18 癈, but " P . macrocarpa " can also be found up to some 1, 200 m altitude.
• The genus " Phytelephas " is essentially northern South American and grows along the Caribbean coastal lowlands of Colombia and Panama, and the Pacific coastal lowlands of Ecuador and Peru . " Phytelephas " species usually occur on low-altitude alluvial soils in river valleys where soil temperatures are greater than 18 癈, but " P . macrocarpa " can also be found up to some 1, 200 m altitude.
• 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.