Socratea exorrhiza

Socratea exorrhiza is an evergreen palm in the Arecaceae family. Its names include stilt palm, rasp palm, and cashapona. Its native range starts in southeastern Nicaragua. It extends into tropical South America. It grows in Amazonian rainforests and near the Andes. Its range includes Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. It also grows in the Guianas and parts of Central America.

This fast-growing tree has one slender stem and a small crown. Sources give its height as 66 feet [20 metres]. Broader records span 26–82 feet [8–25 metres]. The stem is about 0.4–0.6 feet [0.12–0.18 metres] thick. Stilt roots hold the trunk above the soil. Even young palms stand on roots, not a buried trunk. These roots can emerge 6.6 feet [2 metres] above ground. Each root may reach 9.8 feet [3 metres] long.

The crown holds about seven deep green leaves with a feathery form. Each leaf can reach 4.9–6.6 feet [1.5–2 metres] long. A blue-green crown shaft sits below this small head of leaves. Beetles carry pollen to the flowers. The sources show new flower clusters and fruit still growing. They also show ripe fruit. They give no bloom season or details of the flowers. The palm grows in lowland and foothill rainforest. It also grows in fields and fallows that do not flood. Its habitat reaches 3,281 feet [1,000 metres] above sea level.

This palm needs warmth, shelter, and very high humidity to grow. Both sources on growing it stress these needs. Neither states how much cold it can stand. Neither says which light level it prefers. Seeds must be fresh to sprout. Raised roots and a small leafy crown define its shape. These traits give it a clear visual role in warm, humid plantings. The supplied accounts name no pests or diseases. They give no soil mix or watering schedule.

People harvest wild palms for food, building supplies, and folk medicine. They cook and eat the young growing bud. Taking this bud kills the tree. The tree cannot replace that growing point. People use the hard outer wood in houses, posts, and fences. They also use stems for thatching and seeds as beads. Records of folk remedies list roots, stems, leaves, fruit, and seeds. These reports do not prove such uses are safe or work. One source lists no known hazards. It gives no specific evidence of safety for pets.