Aiphanes horrida (Jacq.) Burret

A palm with a single trunk. The trunk is 10 cm across. It grows to 10 m tall. It has long, black, brittle spines on the trunk, leaf stalks and leaflets. The spines are 10 cm long. The spines on the trunk are in rings. It spans 2.4 m wide. The leaves have jagged leaflets. The leaflets are irregularly spaced and with spines on the lower surface. They are dark green and feather like. The leaflets are clustered and have blunt tips. They are somewhat wedge shaped. This gives a ruffled appearance. The flowers are yellow and in short sprays. The fruit are in clusters and are orange-red to scarlet. They are 1-2 cm across. The fruit are edible.

A tropical and subtropical plant. Large plants grow grow with part shade or full sun. It prefers a rich, damp, well-drained soil. It grows in tropical America between sea level and 1700 m altitude but is more common between 500-1500 m. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

The fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are used in candies and for drinks.

It can be grown from seed. Seed germinate readily in about 2 months.