The palm tree Syagrus oleracea Mart. (Becc.): A review

Abstract Syagrus oleracea (Mart.) Becc. is a palm tree (Arecaceae) indigenous to Central and Eastern Brazil. Its cultivation is projected as an excellent option for income diversification, based on the wide range of products that can be exploited, with an emphasis on the characteristic bitter-tasting hearts-of- palm. Due to its increasing economic importance, combined with the extractive exploitation of the species and the indiscriminate advance of deforestation in the region where the species is found, it is necessary to develop studies and technologies, including taxonomic and systematic characterization (morphological, phenotypic, molecular, chemical and reproductive), conservation of germplasm, and selection of superior genotypes, as well as to develop efficient propagation methods, in order to ensure conditions for the continuous and future development of genetic improvement efforts. Although it is a palm tree that is already cultivated, and with economic potential, this crop presents a significant deficit of technical-scientific knowledge at different points of its productive chain. Scientific studies and publications referring to the species are scarce, with a significant proportion of the literature written in Portuguese. The aim of this review is to compile the available information about the species, addressing several aspects of the plant and its potential applications, in order to increase its visibility on the part of different research groups.