General Informations
Pseudophoenix ekmanii (cacheo, cacheo de Oviedo, Dominican cherry palm ) is a palm species endemic to the Barahona Peninsula and Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic. It is a small tree, four to six metres tall, with pinnately compound leaves and solitary, swollen stems. The fruit are reddish with a diameter of about 2 centimetres in diameter.
Pseudophoenix ekmanii was used in the past of palm wine production. Trees were cut down and the pith extracted, especially from the swollen portion of the stem. Sap was extracted and fermented. As a consequence of this cutting for palm wine production, the species is considered critically endangered. Current threat include grazing and agriculture.
