Black basselinia

Description

It is a palm that reaches a size of 10 m in height, with trunk of 2 to 10 cm in diameter, with or without prominent leaf scars. It has 5-8 leaves per crown, from 0.30 to 1.30 m in length, and on each side from 6 to 20 rigid and very wrinkled leaflets , bright green above, with brown scales below. The inflorescence , well below the emerging leaves, rigid and very open with scales of brown or blackish color, becoming gray and glabrous with age. The fruits are bilobed or reniform, 6-8 x 6-9 mm and bright black when ripe.