Oenocarpus bataua Mart.

A palm with a straight trunk. It grows to 20 m high. The trunk can be 15-25 cm across. It has a large crown. The fronds are long and glossy. They can be 10 m long. The leaflets droop. The leaflets are green above and silvery underneath. The new leaves are red. The flowering stalk has drooping side stalks which look like a horse's tail. There are several flowers at the one time. The flowers are creamy white and fragrant. The fruit are heavy and purple-black. They are 2.5-3.5 cm long by 2-2.5 cm across. There can be 500-4000 fruit is a cluster.

Rainforest. Tropical rainforests of South America, in a wide range of growing conditions from swampy lowlands to mountainous regions. Found in both inundated and non-inundated areas.

The fruit are used to extract an edible oil. The fruit are also used for drinks. This is made by boiling the fruit to give a milky drink. This tastes like chocolate.

Plants are grown from seed.