Açaí palm

The Açaí palm (Assai palm) is a type of palm tree. There are seven different types of Açaí palms. The tree grows in Central and South America. It has a black-purple fruit about the size of a grape called a euterpe. The seed inside is very big. The fruit grows in bunches of 700 to 900 fruits.

The palms are mainly used for two things: First, salads called palmitos (heart of palm) can be made from the leaves; for this, the tree needs to be cut down. Secondly, the fruits can be made into a fruit juice that is said to be very healthy.

Other websites

 * Pictures of Açaí palms trees and fruit from an article by The Nature Conservancy.
 * University of Florida study confirms that açaí berries contain antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells
 * Jewelry made from Açaí seeds