About Copernicia alba Morong
Copernicia alba Morong can reach 25 meters in height and 40 centimeters in girth. Its trunk is cylindrical, rarely bifurcated. Adult specimens have a grayish trunk with a smooth surface. Its persistent leaves are grouped at the apex of the trunk, and measure between 40 and 70 centimeters. The inflorescence is almost 2 meters long; the hermaphroditic flowers are about 4 millimeters long, with a tubular yellowish green corolla, and arranged in a spiral pattern. Each flower has three ovaries, and only one of these develops into a globular fruit — a dark pulpous berry that contains a light-brown, 12-millimeter-long ovoid seed. Young specimens have lightweight semihard wood, which becomes hard and heavier in mature individuals, reaching a relative density of up to 0.92. The main use of this wood is for telephone and electrical line poles. Ancient peoples in South America used this wax palm to make candles by scraping wax from its leaves. In Paraguay, C. alba is currently studied to assess its suitability as a biodiesel oil crop.
