Hello Scott,
I felt I had to participate when I saw the pics of Acrocomia aculeata. A few days ago I took these pics close to where I live, its a forest thats being torn down to plant rice....
Anyway, I saved several seedlings from this palm, and they grow in the garden of my office. I had to be carefull with the seedlings too, all full of spines!
( I also saved some Cryosophila seedlings , and plan to go back and take an adult Cryosophila home before the dozer gets it. )
No palm for a playground (could be an Astrocaryum), impresive spines!
I dont really know the species, everything is full of spines, only the seeds are free of them.
Saludos