Euterpe (family Palmae) A genus of palms, many of which are large trees. The trunk is columnar, and sometimes slightly swollen. The leaves are pinnate, the crown-shaft is prominent. The plants are monoecious. E. oleracea of Brazil and Paraguay is the assai palm, whose fleshy fruit wall provides the popular plumcoloured beverage assai. There are 20 species, found in the W. Indies, and in Central and S. America.

Euterpe in Greek and Roman mythology, the Muse of flutes. The name is Greek, and means literally ‘well-pleasing’.