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43. Pacaya Palm 

 Chamaedorea spp. 



Male and female flowers of the pacaya palm are found on 

 separate trees. The young male flower clusters are edible when 

 they look like ears of corn in a husk (lower center in the illus- 

 tration). When these "ears" are opened, they are found to be 

 filled with a mass of curved slender flower stems (illustration 

 at right) which are very good to eat raw or cooked. Usually 

 they are fried with eggs, but they also make a good salad. The 

 white pith of the tree stems is also edible. The pacaya palm 

 is commonly found in Central American forests and also is often 

 cultivated. The trees are small, usually not over 10 feet tall. 

 They are also called simply pacaya. 



