Chamaedorea tepejilote Liebm. In Mart.

A very slender but robust palm. The trunk has swollen nodes. It has prominent annual rings and prop roots near the base. Plants can be solitary or clumping. They can be 3-7 m high. The stems can be 1.5-5 cm across. The crown is of loose dark green fronds. These leaves are divided into leaflets along the stalk. The leaves can be 1.5 m long and 1 m wide. They arch over. The flowering stalks are borne below the crown. The flowers are fragrant. They are greenish-yellow. The fruit are 1.5 cm long and black when ripe. The fruit stalk is red. There is one seed.

A tropical plant. Shade is essential. It can grow in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. It grows naturally in rainforest. It is often on limestone soils. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In Townsville palmetum.

The male flower is eaten while immature in salads. It is also boiled or fried in egg batter. It is usually cooked in several changes of water to remove bitterness. The middle layer of the fruit is edible when fully ripe.

Plants are grown from seed.