Orbignya cohune

Orbignya cohune, commonly known as the cohune palm, is a pinnate-leaved palm tree native to Central America, growing from the Yucatán Peninsula to Honduras. This species is commercially significant for its fruit, which contains kernels rich in oil.12

The oil extracted from these kernels, known as cohune oil, shares properties with coconut oil and has growing importance. However, the commercial development of cohune oil has been limited due to the exceptionally hard shells of the nuts, which make them difficult to crack, and challenges in collection and transportation. The kernels constitute about 10 percent of the nut's weight but are 65 to 70 percent oil.2