Socratea

{{Short description|Genus of palms}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Socratea exorriza2002 03 12.JPG

|image_caption = Socratea exorrhiza stilt roots

|display_parents = 2

|taxon = Socratea

|authority = H.Karst.

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms =

• Metasocratea Dugand

}}

Socratea is a genus of five species of palms found in tropical Central America and South America.[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=192762 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Henderson, A. 1990. Arecaceae–Part I. Introduction and the Iriarteinae. Flora Neotropica, Monograph 53: 1–100

It is commonly believed that Socratea can move away from where it germinated by growing roots on one side and abandoning them on the other. Attempts to detect this behavior have failed.[http://www.livescience.com/33663-walking-tree-socratea-exorrhiza.html Can 'Walking Palm Trees' Really Walk?] {{color|green|At:}} [http://www.livescience.com Live Science] What is known for a fact is that these roots can, in the case of S. montana, grow to a length of 16.5 feet (five meters) and up to three inches (eight cm) in diameter.{{ cite journal | last= Henderson | first= Andrew | date= May 2, 1990 | title= Arecaceae - Part 1 | journal= Flora Neotropica | volume= 53 | page=84}}