General description
B. aethiopum is the tallest indigenous palm that grows up to 25m. The trunk can become 80cm of diameter, is smooth grey and thickened above the middle after about 25 years. Dead leaves remain on the young trunk. Leaves are large fan-shaped, blue-green of colour and 4 x 3 m. They are deeply divided into leaflets, thorny at the base. There are different male and female flowers on different trees. Males are producing branched spikes to 2m carrying the pollen. The fruits are in large bunches weighing 20kg or more. Each fruit is round and about 15cm in diameter, orange-brown in a calyx cup. The inside is yellow-white oily edible pulp with around 3 seeds each 8cm, brown and woody. 

Edible part(s), preparation methods and palatability
Fruit pulp, seed and young seedlings are edible. And from the sap of the flower shots, palm wine is produced. The ‘Karayu’ people living in and around the northern part of the Awash National Park value the fruit high. The 'Karayu' are using the hot springs, where the palm tree is growing abundantly, for washing and to harvest the palm fruits either for commercial purposes or for home consumption. Excellent palm wine is produced from sap tapped from inflorescence penducles (stalks). It is reputedly the best palm wine in Africa with a high sugar content.

Agroecology
A palm tree widespread throughout the less dry areas of tropical Africa. It needs a high water table and thus is normally found along watercourses, often in dense stands. In Ethiopia it found along flood plains and water courses in the moist and wet low- and midlands of Western Illubabor and Kefa Regions as well as in Afar and parts of Somali Regions.

Propagation method(s) 
Propagates by direct sowing and seedlings.

Sample location(s)
Awash National Parque (Afar)

Remarks
The species is of multiple uses. The wood is used for roofing, doorframes and tool handles. Roots, flowers and oil have medicinal value. Fruits and young leaves are used for fodder. The leaves are used for thatching and fibres. Leaves and leafstalks are used to make mats and baskets. Besides its human consumption, the fruits and the pulp produce oil that has an economic value. The fruits themselves represent also a considerable economic value in the lower Afar Region near Awash town. Local traders are buying the fruits from Afar and Karaju people to sell them on the market in Awash town.

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¹ _{Parts of the following description have been taken from Bekele-Tesemma et al., 1993: p. 112/113 and Maundu et al., 1999: p.75}