Manicaria saccifera aka Sea Coconut

Manicaria saccifera is an evergreen palm in the Arecaceae family. Its names include troolie palm, bussu palm, and sea apple. It grows wild in Trinidad and tropical Central and South America. Its range includes the Guianas, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. It lives in swamps and wet lowland forests. Many sites flood and lie close to the sea. Some populations grow inland and reach higher ground.

This palm has one trunk and no spines. Garden descriptions give a height and spread of 33 feet [10 metres]. Wild plants range from about 1.6 to 33 feet [0.5–10 metres] tall. The trunk does not branch and holds old leaves and debris. Huge leaves form an upright crown at its top. Each leaf can reach about 26 feet [8 metres] long. Some leaves stay whole, while others become partly pinnate. Their scale gives the palm a bold shape in warm gardens.

The fruit measures about 1.6–2.4 inches across. It holds a large seed that can float. People drink the liquid endosperm from fruit before it ripens. The seeds yield oil for food. The trunk also holds starch that people use to make sago. One source lists cooked roots as food and young leaves as vegetables. That source warns that young leaves contain harmful glucosides. It specifies boiling them for 15 minutes before use. This warning conflicts with the broad claim that no hazards are known.

The palm needs warmth, shelter, and ample moisture in cultivation. It cannot withstand frost and is very sensitive to cold. PFAF lists USDA zones 11–12 and a moderate growth rate. It accepts sun or light shade. Sandy, loamy, and clay soils suit it. Soil may be mildly acid or neutral, and moist or wet. Growers raise it from seed. Some people cultivate it for its leaves and other useful parts.

The stiff leaves serve as roof thatch and small boat sails. Builders split leaves along the midrib and set them across rafters. The leaf veins help guide rain off the roof. A well-built roof can last ten to twelve years. Traditional remedies use roots, buds, and liquid from green fruit. Reported uses include coughs, asthma, thrush, and diarrhoea. These records describe folk uses, not proof of medical benefit.