ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on the uses, folk medicine, chemistry, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of American Oil Palm. American oil palm is better for margarine-making than the African oil palm, because the former has a low level of free fatty acids and a high melting point. Reported to be tonic, American Oil Palm is a folk remedy for dandruff and other scalp ailments, inflammation, and stomach problems. When this palm is cultivated, seeds are planted in seedbeds and the seedlings transplanted into the field when about 12 to 18 months old. Fruits are selected from special mother plants, often after pollination with pollen of a selected male palm. Oil is extracted with a hydraulic press. The oil is separated from the crude material by means of a continuous settling clarifier fitted with a heat exchanger to dry the oil.
