Ivory-nut palm
Family Palmae (= Arecaceae)
Phytelephas macrocarpa, the ivory-nut palm (P. macrocarpa 1), is a dioecious palm with a short stem and large pinnate leaves borne at ground level, and axillary inflorescences.
Distribution
The ivory-nut palm grows along riverbanks in north-western South America.
Use
The ivory-nut palm is the main source of vegetable ivory. The seeds are collected and shipped to Europe and the US, Ecuador being the main exporting country. The hard endosperm of the seeds finds use as a substitute for true ivory in the manufacture of buttons, billiard balls, chessmen, dice and other articles.