Mucajá palm (Acrocomia aculeata), continued

On to another location and I discovered another young mucajá palm, but only one. Note that vegetation is more dense here. Not being a scientist or researcher, I can't venture a guess why the germination rate for this genus is so low. Some points to consider are: ground litter and vegetation may provide the needed environment for the seeds to germinate. In those areas where the ground was relatively clean, as around the reception center, I didn't find any young plants. Another factor is that these seeds are as hard as nails. It takes time for them to germinate, under the best of circumstances. Some palm species take up to five years! The fruit is edible, which means that some of the fruit is being carried away. Some are eaten on the spot. I'm sure that there are other reasons and somewhere out there in the scientific world, there are folks who can explain these things. I hope someone will respond. Now on to a couple more images of the palm itself.