Introduction
The muriti palm can be found growing throughout Central Brazil and the Southern Amazon basin.1 Different cultures refer to muriti as buriti, moriche, aquaje, miriti, or canangucho palm depending on the geographical location. The tree grows to 115 feet and produces yellow flowers from December to April and fruit from December to June. The fruit, produced after the palm reaches 7 to 8 years of age, is reddish-brown with a yellowish-orange pulp. The tree requires heavy watering and can be found growing naturally along water margins, swamps, and marshes.1 History and Cultural Significance
The word muriti is from the Brazilian language and means life tree.2 It is not clear how long the tree has been cultivated or used, but Brazilian natives utilize all parts of the palm and consider it sacred.3 The petioles of the tree are used to make bottle corks, birdcages, and animal traps. The leaves provide the natives with thread that is used to wrap tobacco and to make hammocks, baskets, hats, garments, and jewelry. The trunk of the palm is helpful in building bridges, fences, and houses.3 The fruit of the muriti can be eaten raw, dried, or processed into a sweet wine, known as muriti wine.4,5 Fresh juices and ice cream are produced from the fruit.5 The fruit is a common food source for herbivores in the Amazon rainforest including parrots, tapirs, deer and jaguars.6 Traditional medicinal uses of muriti fruit include soothing skin.7 The oil extracted from the pulp is very high in Vitamin A.1 Muriti oil is found in hair and skin care products, make-up, body oils, bath oils and soaps. Modern Research
One clinical trial studied muriti’s ability to relieve dry eyes.8 Future Outlook
Overharvesting of the muriti palm through removal of the female (fruit bearing) trees within the Iquitos region of northeast Peru is rapidly depleting species adjacent to population centers.9,10 Environmental organizations have not been successful in attempting to conserve and protect the tree. A different approach is currently underway involving planting muriti trees in Peru in a controlled buffer zone of about 400,000 acres. These will be the preferred lands to cultivate the fruit, helping to conserve the threatened forest ecosystems. This project is showing promising results in meeting commercial demand as well as providing a sustainable alternative for the local people.11 References
1 Dahme M. Mauritia flexuosa. Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida, Inc. 1998. Available at: http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/photos/Species/mauritia_flexuosa.htm. Accessed April 20, 2004. 2 List by Latin Genus/Species Names and English Common Names. Available at: http://www.ctfa.org/Content/ContentGroups/Consumer_Information1/Botanicals1/OnLineListByLatinGenusSpecies.pdf. Accessed March 21, 2005. 3 Campos MT, Ehringhaus C, Pereira NW, Guimaraes AM. Plant viruses are in the eyes of the beholders: a comparison of known palm uses among indigenous and folk communities of Southwestern Amazonia. The New York Botanical Garden. Available at: http://www.nybg.org/bsci/acre/palmuses.html. Accessed April 20, 2004. 4 Gray M. Palms: Mauritia flexuosa. Palm & Cycad Societies of Australia. Available at: http:www.pacsoa.org.au/palms.Mauritia/flexuosa.html. Accessed April 20, 2004. 5 Castner JL, Timme SL, Duke JA. A Field Guide to Medicinal and Useful Plants of the Upper Amazon. Gainesville, FL: Feline Press; 1998. 6 Tropilab Inc. Mauritia flexuosa L. - Mauriti Palm. Available at: http://www.tropilab.com/mauritia.html. Accessed April 20, 2004. 7 Rescuing the Aguaje. ProNaturaleza website. 2005. Available at: http://www.pronaturaleza.org/english/5_notas_prensa.htm. Accessed December 9, 2005. 8 Mariath JG, Lima MC, Santos LM. Vitamin A activity of buriti (Mauritia vinifera Mart) and its effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of xerophthalmia. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 1989;49(5):849-53. 9 Irvine, D. 1989. Succession Management and Resource Distribution in an Amazonian Rain Forest. Advances in Economic Botany 7:223-237. Cited by: Birch J. Essay #7 Literature review. April 30, 2001. Available at: http://www.esb.utexas.edu/nrm2001/jbirch/hw/Indigenous%20Resource%20Mgmt%20Tech.doc. Accessed March 21, 2005. 10 Vasquez, R., and A. H. Gentry. 1989. Use and Misuse of Forest-harvested Fruits in the Iquitos Area. Conservation Biology 3(4):350-361. Cited by: Birch J. Essay #7 Literature review. April 30, 2001. Available at: http://www.esb.utexas.edu/nrm2001/jbirch/hw/Indigenous%20Resource%20Mgmt%20Tech.doc. Accessed March 21, 2005. 11 Proyecto Aguaje: Aguaje Palm Cultivation in Agroforestry Systems. Rainforest Conservation Fund web site. 2005. Available at: http://www.rainforestconservation.org/projects.html. Accessed December 9, 2005.
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