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NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS
10/Rev. 1
Tropical palms
2010 revision
by
Dennis V. Johnson
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not
imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any
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reflect the views of FAO.
ISBN
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Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.
© FAO 2010
Tropical Palms iii
CONTENTS
FOREWORD.......................................................................................................................... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................... ix
1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1
2 HISTORICAL ROLE OF PALMS IN HUMAN CULTURE .................................. 13
3 CURRENT PALM PRODUCTS................................................................................. 33
4 ASIAN REGION........................................................................................................... 45
5 PACIFIC OCEAN REGIOn...................................................................................... 107
6 LATIN AMERICAN REGION ................................................................................. 119
7 AFRICAN AND THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN REGION............................ 147
8 PALMS WITH DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL ................................................... 163
9 COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED PALM
PRODUCTS ................................................................................................................ 171
10 REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 201
11 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES.......................................................... 229
12 PALM SPECIALIST DIRECTORY ........................................................................ 233
13 THE MOST THREATENED PALMS OF THE WORLD: UTILIZED
AND NOT UTILIZED................................................................................................ 237
iv Tropical Palms
TABLES
Table 2-1 Iban, Sarawak, Malaysia, Utilization of Native Palms..................................................................... 19
Table 2-2 Shipibo, Peru, Utilization of Native Palms....................................................................................... 22
Table 2-3 Kwanyama Ovambo, Namibia, Utilization of Native Palms ........................................................... 23
Table 2-4 Trukese, Caroline Islands, Pacific Ocean, Utilization of Palms....................................................... 25
Table 3-1 Principal Palm Products .................................................................................................................... 38
Table 3-2 Matrix of Principal Palm Products................................................................................................... 40
Table 4-1 Threatened South Asian Palms with Reported uses (excluding rattans).......................................... 47
Table 4-2 Non-threatened South Asian Palms with Reported Uses (excluding rattans).................................. 51
Table 4-3 Threatened Southeast Asian Palms with Reported Uses (excluding rattans) .................................. 54
Table 4-4 Non-threatened Southeast Asian Palms with Reported Uses (excluding rattans) ........................... 58
Table 4-5 Threatened Asian Rattans.................................................................................................................. 66
Table 4-6 Non-threatened Asian Rattans........................................................................................................... 75
Table 4-7 Asian Rattans with Unknown Conservation Status and Reported Uses .......................................... 78
Table 4-8 Selected Publications on Rattan Since 1979..................................................................................... 87
Table 4-9 Known Noncane Uses and Products of Rattans Included in Tables 4-5, 4-6 and 4-7 ..................... 93
Table 4-10 Commercial Native Rattan Species of Lao....................................................................................... 98
Table 5-1 Threatened Pacific Ocean Region Palms with Reported Uses....................................................... 110
Table 5-2 Non-threatened Pacific Ocean Region Palms with Reported Uses................................................ 114
Table 5-3 Books Published on the Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu) since 1977............................................... 116
Table 6-1 Threatened Latin American Palms with Reported Uses................................................................. 122
Table 6-2 Non-threatened Latin American Palms with Reported Uses.......................................................... 128
Table 7-1 Threatened African Palms with Reported Uses .............................................................................. 148
Table 7-2 Non-threatened African Palms with Reported Uses ....................................................................... 149
Table 7-3 Borassus aethiopum uses in Senegal .............................................................................................. 151
Table 7-4 Threatened Madagascar Palms with Reported Uses....................................................................... 156
Table 7-5 Non-threatened Madagascar Palms with Reported Uses................................................................ 160
Table 8-1 Candidate Palms for Domestication or Management ..................................................................... 165
Table 9-1 Chemical Constituents of Arecanut, Areca catechu ....................................................................... 171
Table 9-2 Nutritional Composition of Pejibaye Fruit Mesocarp Pulp, Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes ........ 172
Table 9-3 Nutritional Composition of Pejibaye Flour, Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes ................................. 173
Table 9-4 Composition of Fibers of Bactris setosa and Borassus flabellifer................................................. 174
Table 9-5 Nutritional Composition of Palmyra Sweet Sap, Borassus flabellifer........................................... 175
Table 9-6 Nutritional Composition of Palmyra Sugar (Jaggery), Borassus flabellifer .................................. 176
Table 9-7 Quantitative Anatomical Features of Calamus spp. ....................................................................... 177
Table 9-8 Nutritional Composition of Limuran Fruit, Calamus ornatus........................................................ 178
Table 9-9 Nutritional Composition of Palm Inflorescence, Pacaya, Chamaedorea tepejilote ...................... 179
Table 9-10 Components of Whole Coconut, Cocos nucifera ........................................................................... 180
Table 9-11 Characteristics of Coconut Oil from Copra, Cocos nucifera ......................................................... 181
Table 9-12 Composition of Coconut Shell, Cocos nucifera ............................................................................. 183
Table 9-13 Nutritional Composition of Coconut Water, Cocos nucifera......................................................... 184
Table 9-14 Mechanical Properties of Coconut Wood, Cocos nucifera ............................................................ 185
Table 9-15 Composition and Properties of Carnaúba Wax, Copernicia prunifera.......................................... 186
Table 9-16 Nutritional Composition of Buri Palm Fruit, Corypha utan .......................................................... 187
Table 9-17 Nutritional Composition of African Oil Palm Fruit, Elaeis guineensis ......................................... 188
Table 9-18 Nutritional Composition of African Oil Palm Oil1 Elaeis guineensis........................................... 189
Table 9-19 Nutritional Composition of Palm Heart, Euterpe spp. ................................................................... 190
Table 9-20 Nutritional Composition of Açaí Fruit Pulp and Skin, Euterpe olearacea.................................... 191
Table 9-21 Nutritional Composition of African Doum Palm Fruit Mesocarp, Hyphaene compressa............. 192
Table 9-22 Nutritional Composition of Palm Wine from Sap of Hyphaene coriace ....................................... 193
Table 9-23 Nutritional Composition of Indian Doum Palm Mesocarp, Hyphaene dichotoma........................ 194
Table 9-24 Nutritional Composition of Moriche Palm Fruit1, Mauritia flexuosa ........................................... 195
Table 9-25 Nutritional Composition of Sago Starch, Metroxylon sagu ........................................................... 196
Table 9-26 Nutritional Composition of Date1 Fruit, Phoenix dactylifera........................................................ 197
Table 9-27 Nutritional Composition of Palm Wine from Sap of Phoenix reclinata........................................ 198
Table 9-28 Nutritional Composition of Salak Palm Fruit, Salacca zalaccag) ................................................. 199
Tropical Palms v
FIGURES
Figure 1-1 Palm Growth Habits I. A. An aerial branching palm, the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica).
B. A clustering palm, the sealing wax palm (Cyrtostachys renda). C. A solitary palm, the
carnaúba wax palm (Copernicia prunifera). D. A subterranean branching palm, the nipa
palm (Nypa fruticans).......................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 1-2 Palm Growth Habits II. A climbing palm, the rattan palm (Calamus sp.). A. Bare section of
old stem. B. Young shoot. C. Spiny leaf sheath. D. Flagellum. Redrawn from Jones, 1995. ........... 4
Figure 1-3 Palm Leaf Types. A. A palmate leaf, as in the Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta).
B. An entire leaf, as in the necklace palm (Chamaedorea geonomiformis). C. A bipinnate
leaf, as in the fishtail palms (Caryota spp.). D. A pinnate leaf, as in the nipa palm (Nypa
fruticans).............................................................................................................................................. 5
Figure 1-4 Palm Fruit Types. A. Corypha, Coryphoideae subfamily. B. Calamus, Calamoideae
subfamily. C. Nypa, Nypoideae subfamily. D. Ceroxylon, Ceroxyloideae subfamily. E.
Areca, Arecoideae subfamily. F. Phytelephas, Phytelephantoideae subfamily. G. A Palm
Fruit in Cross-section. A. Epicarp. B. Hilum. C. Endosperm. D. Mesocarp. E. Embryo. F.
Endocarp. ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Figure 1-5 False Palms. A. The traveler’s palm (Ravenala madagascariensis). B. The sago palm
(Cycas revoluta). C. The palm lily or ti palm (Cordyline spp.). D. The screw palm
(Pandanus spiralis). .......................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 2-1 The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera); the tree of life. Examples of end-products, clockwise.
Trunk - construction, wood, timber, plywood, furniture, picture frames, charcoal. Leaf
Sheath - bags, hats, caps, slippers. Sap - toddy, arrak, vinegar, yeast. Meat -oil, desiccated
coconut, copra cake, candy, coconut water, coconut cheese, coconut milk, jam. Heart -
fresh and pickled palm heart, animal feed. Leaves - mats, hats, slippers, midrib brooms,
draperies, bags, toothpicks, roof thatch, midrib furniture, fencing, fans, fuel, fodder. Shell -
trays, buttons, jewelry, trinkets, charcoal, activated charcoal, wood preservative, bowls,
fuel. Coirdust - coirdust coke, plasterboard, blocks, insulation, potting mix. Husk - rope,
yarn, coir mat, coir fiber, brushes, cushion and mattress stuffing, compost, fuel. Roots -
dyestuff, medicine, fuel. .................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 3-1 Artisanal Palm Products I. A. Hat woven from palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf
fiber, Tamil Nadu, India. B. Spider figure carved from seed of South American vegetable
ivory palm (Phytelephas macrocarpa), Ecuador; 7.5 cm in diameter. C. Palm climbing belt
made from African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) petiole and leaf fiber, Guinea-Bissau; 108
cm long, 30 cm wide as illustrated. D. Shoulder bag with strap woven from chambira palm
(Astrocaryum chambira) leaf fiber, Ecuador; 38 cm wide, 25 cm high. ......................................... 35
Figure 3-2 Artisanal Palm Products II. A. Woven basket with attached overlapping lid, made of
palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf fiber, Casamance, Senegal; 20 cm high (closed),
24 cm wide. B. Head figure (a sadhu, a devotee who has renounced the world and gone to
live in a remote area) made of the carved seed and mesocarp fiber of palmyra palm
(Borassus flabellifer), Tamil Nadu, India; 10 x 10 cm. C. Chopsticks and case, chopsticks
made of palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) stem wood, case raw material undetermined,
Thailand; chopsticks 23 cm long. D. Turned bowl made of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)
stem wood, Philippines; 7.5 cm in diameter. E. Palm leaf writing (Buddhist bible), made of
talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera) leaflets, Thailand; 51 cm long, 4.5 cm wide. ..................... 36
Figure 3-3 Artisanal Palm Products III. A. Rattan palm (likely Calamus sp.) shoulder bag, Sarawak,
Malaysia; 36 cm high, 21 cm in diameter. B. Rattan palm (likely Calamus sp.) ball,
Peninsular Malaysia; 12 cm in diameter. C. Coco bunny, made of coconut palm (Cocos
nucifera) husk, Guyana; 17 cm long. D. Ashtray, made of Bactris sp. stem wood, Ecuador;
12 cm in diameter. E. Spear made of Bactris sp. stem wood, Peru; 102 cm long. F. Rattan
palm (likely Calamus sp.) coat hanger, country of origin unknown; 41 cm wide, 23 cm
high. ................................................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 4-1 Cultivated sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) in Sarawak, East Malaysia. Photograph by Dennis
Johnson. ........................................................................................................................................... 100
Figure 4-2 Sago palm starch (Metroxylon sagu) for sale in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The starch is
wrapped in leaves from the same palm........................................................................................... 100
Figure 4-3 Rattan canes (Calamus spp.) drying in the sun in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photograph
by Johanis Mogea. ........................................................................................................................... 101
Figure 4-4 Rattan factory. Java, Indonesia. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.................................................. 101
Figure 4-5 Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) in habitat in Sarawak, East Malaysia. Photograph by Dennis
Johnson. ........................................................................................................................................... 102
vi Tropical Palms
Figure 4-6 Salak palm fruits (Salacca zalacca) for sale. Java, Indonesia....................................................... 102
Figure 4-7 House wall panels made from buri leaves (Corypha utan). Mindanao, Philippines.
Photograph by Dennis Johnson....................................................................................................... 103
Figure 4-8 Boiling down sap of buri palm (Corypha utan) to make sugar. Mindanao, Philippines.
Photograph by Domingo Madulid................................................................................................... 103
Figure 4-9 Calamus merrillii fruits (center) being sold in the Baguio Market, Philippines. Photograph
by Domingo Madulid. ..................................................................................................................... 104
Figure 4-10 Wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris) along a roadside. West Bengal, India. Photograph by
Dennis Johnson................................................................................................................................ 104
Figure 4-11 Brushes made from palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf-base fiber. Tamil Nadu, India.
Figure 4-12 Assorted products made from palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf fiber. Tamil Nadu,
India. Photograph by Dennis Johnson............................................................................................ 105
Figure 4-13 Sawing boards of coconut wood (Cocos nucifera) in Mindanao, Philippines. Photograph by
Dennis Johnson................................................................................................................................ 106
Figure 4-14 Tapping nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) using a bamboo container to collect the sap.
Mindanao, Philippines. Photograph by Domingo Madulid........................................................... 106
Figure 6-1 Collecting pacaya inflorescences (Chamaedorea tepejilote) in Guatemala. Photograph by
Don Hodel........................................................................................................................................ 143
Figure 6-2 Babaçu fruits (Attalea speciosa) being sun-dried in Northeast Brazil. Photograph by Dennis
Johnson. ........................................................................................................................................... 143
Figure 6-3 Tucum fruits (Astrocaryum aculeatum) for sale in Manaus, Brazil. Photograph by Dennis
Johnson. ........................................................................................................................................... 144
Figure 6-4 The huasaí palm (Euterpe precatoria) in habitat near Iquitos, Peru. Photograph by Dennis
Johnson. ........................................................................................................................................... 144
Figure 6-5 Spear and bow carved from buri palm wood (Allagoptera caudescens) in Bahia, Brazil.
Pataxos Amerindians living near Monte Pascoal National Park make these objects to sell to
tourists. Photograph by Dennis Johnson......................................................................................... 145
Figure 6-6 Palm leaf products (from Euterpe oleracea and other palms) for sale in Belém, Brazil.
Figure 6-7 Bundles of recently-harvested piassava leaf base fiber (Attalea funifera). Bahia, Brazil.
Figure 6-8 Pejibaye palm (Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes) cultivated in a germplasm collection near
Manaus, Brazil. Photograph by Dennis Johnson. ........................................................................... 146
Figure 7-1 Raffia palm (Raphia farinifera) cultivated in a botanic garden. .................................................... 153
Figure 7-2 Doum palm (Hyphaene sp.) as an ornamental tree in Burkina Faso. Photograph by
Dennis Johnson................................................................................................................................ 153
Figure 7-3 Subspontaneous African oil palm stand (Elaeis guineensis). Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.
Figure 7-4 African fan palms (Borassus aethiopum) in a village in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.
Tropical Palms vii
FOREWORD
Tropical palms, originally published in 1998, has been updated in 2010 by the author to
include the most recent information and developments regarding the conservation status and
use of various tropical palm species. The deteriorating conservation status of several tropical
palm species, particularly in the rattan group, as well as recent developments regarding the
use of palm products in the food, bioenergy and fibre processing industries, for example,
required a thorough review of the first edition.
For the reader’s comfort, as well as to make it easy to identify where updates took place, the
revised edition follows the same format and chapter sequence as in the original publication,
including by following as much as possible the same order of tables, graphs and illustrations
and by adding new ones where applicable.
Palms are among the most common plants in tropical countries, where they often dominate
the rural landscape. An example is the massive expansion of industrial oil-palm plantations
for food or bioenergy in the past 10 years in Southeast Asian countries.
Palms belong to the Arecaceae family, which comprises some 2 450 species, distributed
mainly throughout the tropics and subtropics. The palm family is highly variable and exhibits
a tremendous morphological diversity. Palms are found in a wide range of tropical and
subtropical ecological zones, but they are most common in the understorey of tropical humid
forests.
Since ancient times, humankind has derived an impressive assortment of products from palms
for food, construction, fibre and fuel. Given their frequent occurrence in tropical forests and
the vast array of products derived from them, increased attention to the conservation or re-
introduction of palms is warranted in the design and implementation of forest management or
reforestation plans.
viii Tropical Palms
Tropical Palms ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document was prepared, based on a draft made by Dennis V. Johnson, previously of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Washington, D.C., and who
is an authority on palm utilization, conservation and development. The document benefited
from the detailed comments of John Dransfield, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, UK; and from
the following individuals who contributed information and ideas to this report: William
Baker, Michael Balick, Henrik Balslev, Charles Clement, Neela De Zoysa, John Dowe, John
Dransfield, Patrick Durst, Andrew Henderson, Don Hodel, Francis Kahn, Jane MacKnight,
Mónica Moraes, Jean-Christophe Pintaud, C. Renuka, Natalie Uhl, Jane Villa-Lobos and
Scott Zona.
This report derives its basic information on the conservation status of palms from the plants
database of the United Nations Environment Programme/World Conservation Monitoring
Centre, Cambridge, U.K. The assistance of Harriet Gillett of UNEP/WCMC is gratefully
acknowledged. The preparation of this report also draws upon data collected by the World
Conservation Union/Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) Palm Specialist Group in the
course of preparing an action plan on palm conservation and sustained utilization.
Thanks go to Ms Susy Tafuro for the formatting and layout.

Tropical Palms 1
1 INTRODUCTION
Palms are monocots, included in the section of Angiosperms characterized by bearing a single
seed leaf. Scientifically, palms are classified as belonging to the family Palmae (the
alternative name is Arecaceae), are perennial and distinguished by having woody stems.
According to Dransfield1 et al (2008), the palm family consists of five subfamilies, each
representing a major line of evolution. The Calamoideae is the subfamily with the most
unspecialized characters. It is followed by the, Nypoideae, Coryphoideae, Ceroxyloideae and
Arecoideae; subfamilies; the last exhibiting the greatest number of specialized characters. The
foregoing names are based on the genus originally thought to be most characteristic of each
subfamily, all of which have species of economic importance. These are: the rattan palm
(Calamus), nipa palm (Nypa), talipot palm (Corypha), Andean wax palm (Ceroxylon) and
betel nut palm (Areca).
About 183 palm genera are currently recognized. The number of palm species is much less
precise because of conflicting concepts by palm taxonomists as to what constitutes a distinct
species, and the need to revise a number of genera. According to Govaerts and Dransfield
(2005), incorporating on-line updates (www.kew.org/monocotchecklist/) there are about
2,450 palm species.
Natural history information on the palm family can be found in Corner (1966). Palm anatomy
and structural biology have been the subjects of studies by Tomlinson (1961; 1990). Palm
horticulture is treated in detail by Broschat and Meerow (2000). Illustrated books which
provide general information on the more common palms of the world include McCurrach
(1960), Langlois (1976), Blombery and Rodd (1982), Lötschert (1985), Del Cañizo (1991),
Stewart (1994), Jones (1995), Riffle and Craft (2003) and Squire (2007).
Growth Habit
The stem or trunk is a principal means of describing and identifying palms. There are five
basic stem types: solitary, clustering, aerial branching, subterranean branching and climbing.
The first two types are not mutually exclusive; in some instances the same species may
exhibit either a solitary or clustering habit.
Solitary palms. (Figure 1-1, C). The single-stemmed growth habit is very common and is
characteristic of many of the palms cultivated for ornamental and economic purposes. Great
variability exists in both the height and diameter of solitary palms. At one extreme is the
ornamental potato-chip palm (Chamaedorea tuerckheimii) which has a stem no larger than the
shaft of a pencil and may reach a height of only 30 cm. At the other extreme are the Chilean
wine palm (Jubaea chilensis) with a stem diameter up to 2 m and the Andean wax palm
(Ceroxylon alpinum) which may reach a height of 60 m. The economic disadvantage of
solitary palms is that they must be propagated by seed and are vulnerable to fatal damage to
the single growing tip.
1
Genera Palmarum, revised edition 2008, is the best source of scientific information about the palm family to
the generic level. It also defines technical terms associated with describing palms and provides illustrative
line drawings and photographs. However, it contains little in the way of detailed information about
individual palm species.
2 Tropical Palms
Clustering palms. (Fig. 1-1, B). Multiple-stemmed palms are also quite common. From a
common root system, the palm produces suckers (basal offshoots) at or below ground level;
the suckers growing to maturity and replacing the oldest stems as they die. Clustering palms
may be sparse or dense; in the latter they may form thickets. Numerous examples of
clustering palms are found among the popular ornamental species of the genus Chamaedorea;
another is the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera). However, the date palm, in formal cultivation,
typically has its suckers removed giving it the appearance of a solitary palm. Many clustering
palms can be propagated by separating and transplanting young suckers, making them easier
to cultivate.
Aerial branching palms. (Fig. 1-1, A). Aerial branching in palms is unusual and only found
naturally in species of the genera Hyphaene and Dypsis, as well as in the rattan genera
Korthalsia and Laccosperma. Branching occurs by equal forking (dichotomous branching) at
the growth point and, in Hyphaene compressa, may occur as many as five times. Because of
sublethal damage to the growing point by insects or a physical force such as lightning, aerial
branching can occur abnormally in solitary palms. Examples of this are found in the coconut
(Cocos nucifera) and palmyra (Borassus flabellifer). No technique has yet been devised to
induce abnormal aerial branching for economic purposes.
Subterranean branching palms. (Fig. 1-1, D). Subterranean branching occurs by at least
two processes. Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) is an example of dichotomous branching; the salak
palm (Salacca zalacca) is representative of lateral branching and is similar to the type of
branching which takes place in dicots with branches developing from the growth of lateral
meristems. Palms producing subterranean branches by either process can be vegetatively
propagated by separating and transplanting individual branches.
Climbing palms. (Fig. 1-2). Over 500 species of palms in some 14 genera have a climbing
growth habit. Most noteworthy is the genus Calamus--the largest genus in the palm family
with approximately 374 described species--source of nearly all commercial rattan. The
majority of climbing palms are also clumping palms, sending out new shoots from the root
system.
Initially erect, the slender stems seek out trees for support and climb up into the forest canopy
by means of recurved hooks and spines growing on the stem, leaves and inflorescences. In all
climbing palms the leaves are pinnate and grow along the stem instead of forming a dense
crown. The stems of climbing palms, more often referred to as canes, are solid in contrast to
bamboo poles which are almost always hollow.
Leaves
Palm leaves are as variable as palm growth habits. In a forest setting, the leaves of palms are
generally large and in many instances spectacular, making them a key aspect of identification.
Palms typically bear their leaves, frequently referred to as fronds, in a crown at the top of the
stem. Some exceptions to this leaf arrangement occur, such as in the ornamentally-popular
lady palms (Rhapis spp.) which have leaves distributed along the upper stem. Among the
acaulescent (stemless) palms, leaves may appear to be emerging from the root system but are
in fact growing from the subterranean stem.
Tropical Palms 3
Four basic forms are characteristic of palm leaves: pinnate, palmate, bipinnate and entire
Figure 1-1 Palm Growth Habits I. A. An aerial branching palm, the doum palm
(Hyphaene thebaica). B. A clustering palm, the sealing wax palm
(Cyrtostachys renda). C. A solitary palm, the carnaúba wax palm
(Copernicia prunifera). D. A subterranean branching palm, the nipa palm
(Nypa fruticans).
4 Tropical Palms
Figure 1-2 Palm Growth Habits II. A climbing palm, the rattan palm (Calamus sp.). A.
Bare section of old stem. B. Young shoot. C. Spiny leaf sheath. D. Flagellum.
Redrawn from Jones, 1995.
Pinnate leaves. (Fig. 1-3, D) Pinnate leaves are the most common type found in the palm
family. They are divided into leaflets attached to a central leaf axis (the rachis) and often
resemble a feather; hence palms bearing such foliage are often referred to as being feather-
leaved or simply feather palms. Pinnate leaves exhibit an extreme size-range in the Palmae,
varying from (including the petiole) well under 1 m in length in species of Chamaedorea to
25 m long in Raphia regalis. The latter is reputed to be a world record for the plant kingdom.
All five major economic palms have pinnate leaves: coconut (Cocos nucifera), African oil
palm (Elaeis guineensis), date (Phoenix dactylifera), betel nut palm (Areca catechu) and
pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes).
Palmate leaves. (Fig. 1-3, A) These are also known as fan-leaved or fan palms. Palmate
leaves have extended leaf parts (lamina) which are circular or semi-circular, divided into
segments and radiate out from the point where they are attached to the petiole. Laminae may
be slightly divided to being divided nearly to the leaf base. In size, leaves may be not much
larger than a human hand in the lady palms (Rhapis spp.), to a maximum of 5 m across such
as in the talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera). The most important economic palm with
palmate leaves is the palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer). A variation of the palmate leaf
form occurs in some genera, such as Sabal. The midrib or costa is short and gives the leaf a
somewhat V shape, described as “costapalmate.”
Tropical Palms 5
Figure 1-3 Palm Leaf Types. A. A palmate leaf, as in the Mexican fan palm
(Washingtonia robusta). B. An entire leaf, as in the necklace palm
(Chamaedorea geonomiformis). C. A bipinnate leaf, as in the fishtail palms
(Caryota spp.). D. A pinnate leaf, as in the nipa palm (Nypa fruticans).
Bipinnate leaves. (Fig. 1-3, C) Bipinnate means twice-divided and gives leaflets (pinnules) a
resemblance to a fishtail. This leaf type is rare in the Palmae, apparently restricted to Caryota
spp., the fishtail palms. Individual fronds are as much as 4 m long and 3 m wide, depending
upon the species.
Entire leaves. (Fig. 1-3, B) Entire leaves have a basic structure that is similar to pinnate
leaves except that they are simple and undivided. Only about five palm genera have species
with entire leaves; the largest and most spectacular is the diamond-shaped leaf of
Johannesteijsmannia magnifica.
6 Tropical Palms
Fruits
In the palm family as a whole, from as little as two years to 40 years or more are required
before individual palm species reach maturity and begin to flower and produce fruit.
Examples of rapid sexual maturity are found among Chamaedorea spp., whereas the buri
palm (Corypha utan) is one of the slowest to mature.
Figure 1-4 demonstrates the variability of fruits in the palm family. Illustrations A through F
depict a representative fruit from each genus which gives its name to a palm subfamily. (Note
that Fig. 1-4 represents the earlier division of the palm family into six subfamilies, before
Phytelephas was reclassified as belonging to the Ceroxyloideae.) In terms of weight and size,
palm seeds exhibit extreme differences. An individual seed of the popular ornamental parlor
palm (Chamaedorea elegans) weighs only 0.23 g, as compared to the massive seed of the
double coconut (Lodoicea maldivica) which weighs as much as 20 kg. The double coconut
has the distinction of bearing the largest seed in the plant kingdom.
A cross-section of a palm fruit is provided in Figure 1-4, G. It serves to introduce the

terminology associated with the different parts of the palm fruit to be employed in subsequent
discussions.
Figure 1-4 Palm Fruit Types. A. Corypha, Coryphoideae subfamily. B. Calamus,

Calamoideae subfamily. C. Nypa, Nypoideae subfamily. D. Ceroxylon,
Ceroxyloideae subfamily. E. Areca, Arecoideae subfamily. F. Phytelephas,
Phytelephantoideae subfamily. G. A Palm Fruit in Cross-section. A. Epicarp.
B. Hilum. C. Endosperm. D. Mesocarp. E. Embryo. F. Endocarp.
Tropical Palms 7
Habitats
Geographically, palms can be found in habitats ranging from southern France where the
European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis) naturally occurs at 44o north latitude, to Chatham
Island, New Zealand, at 44o south latitude, where the shaving brush palm (Rhopalostylis
sapida) is native. However, despite this impressive spread of latitude, the overwhelming
majority of palm species are native to the tropical regions of the earth. Dowe (1992)
estimated that only about 130 palm species occur naturally beyond the tropical latitudes
(23.5o N. & S.).
Detailed data do not yet exist on a global basis as to the precise habitat of each palm species,
and therefore it is somewhat difficult to discuss palms in terms of common habitat types.
Nevertheless, on the basis of what we do know, palm habitats can be generalized into five
types: forest habitats; montane habitats; grassland and scrubland habitats; desert habitats; and
unusual soil-type habitats.
Forest habitats. Included here are both closed forest and open forest. Palms are
predominantly forest species, as evidenced by two studies in South America. According to a
habitat characterization of native Peruvian palms, 90 percent of the species occur in forests
(Kahn and Moussa, 1994); across the continent in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, part of
the Atlantic Forest, Fernandes (1993) did a similar study and found that 27 of the 30 native
palms (90 percent) also were forest species.
Within tropical forests, individual palm species may be tall enough to be emergent and to
form a part of the canopy or they may be understory species of short stature adapted to shady
conditions. From the standpoint of forest degradation or destruction, it is the understory
species which seldom survive, whereas some emergent species may appear actually to thrive
as a result of disturbance.
The tropical forest habitat is not homogenous. Apart from the lands of adequate drainage,
there are some areas subject to poor drainage or periodic flooding. Such areas are
characterized by distinct vegetation associations with palms often playing a principal role. In
South America, for example, the moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa) forms extensive almost
pure stands where conditions are swampy. To cite an example from Africa, the wine palm of
West Africa, Raphia hookeri, is abundant in coastal freshwater swamps. And in Southeast
Asia, the nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) forms dense stands in estuaries of brackish water.
Well-drained coastal areas forming a part of the tropical forest habitat likewise have some
distinctive palm communities. The best example of this is the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).
Montane habitats. Tropical montane habitats are generally defined as being above 1,000 m.
Any combination of lower temperatures caused by altitude, extremely wet conditions due to
clouds and complex topography creates unique ecological niches to which certain palm
species have become adapted. The Andean wax palms (Ceroxylon spp.), for example, are
found only in montane forests. In Africa, the Senegal date palm (Phoenix reclinata) occurs
both in lowland and montane forests. The montane forests in Asia do not appear to have any
palm genera unique to the habitat but do have numerous species of genera common in the
lowlands, such as the rattans (Calamus spp.)
8 Tropical Palms
Grassland and scrubland habitats. There is less palm species diversity in grasslands and
scrublands, but the palms that do occur may be present in fairly large populations. Examples
are the carnaúba wax palm (Copernicia prunifera) of northeastern Brazil, the vegetable ivory
palm of Africa (Hyphaene petersiana) and the palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) of Asia. In
apparently all instances, palms in these habitats are found in association with some water
source, e.g. stream valleys, perched water tables or the like.
Desert habitats. These dry habitats are generally defined as areas receiving less than 254 mm
of annual rainfall and represent true desert. Palms in a desert habitat are often referred to as
oasis palms. The occurrence of palms in such dry habitats may, in some cases, represent relict
distributions from previous geologic periods of more favourable rainfall conditions. Examples
of oasis palms are the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), California fan palm (Washingtonia
filifera) and the Central Australian cabbage palm (Livistona mariae).
Unusual soil-type habitats. Soils derived primarily from limestone can produce extremely
basic soils which support a distinctive flora. The same is true of very acidic soils rich in
heavy metals (chromium, iron, copper or manganese), which are often referred to as being
ultrabasic or serpentinic soils. Certain palm species tolerate such extreme soil conditions. A
number of palms in the Caribbean region are adapted to limey soils, such as the thatch palms
(Thrinax spp.). In the Pacific island of New Caledonia, to cite another example, ten of the
native palm species are found only on serpentinic soils.
False Palms
The term "palm," correctly-applied, refers to plants which are members of the Palmae, but by
popular usage has also been applied to plants which resemble palms in some ways. At least
seven plants have a common name which includes the word "palm," but which are not palms
in the scientific sense. It is useful to clear up this confusion and dispense with the false palms
as being beyond the scope of this study.
Traveler’s palm. (Fig. 1-5, A) Ravenala madagascariensis, Strelitziaceae family, is a woody

tree with a palm-like stem. It is native to Madagascar and widely cultivated as an ornamental
throughout the tropics. Individual leaves bear greater resemblance to a banana plant (to which
it is related) than a palm; they are arranged in two distinct ranks in the same plane forming a
fan-shaped head. Flowers of the traveler’s palm are similar to those of the bird-of-paradise
plant. The vernacular name of the traveler’s palm is said to derive from the fact that the cup-
like leaf bases hold water which travelers could drink.
Sago palm. (Fig. 1-5, B) Major confusion is associated with this common name because it
refers to the true palm Metroxylon sagu as well as to the palm-like Asian cycad Cycas
revoluta, in the family Cycadaceae. Both the stem (which is sometimes branching) and the
terminal crown of pinnate leaves of Cycas revoluta are similar to those of a true palm.
However, Cycas revoluta leaves are stiff and borne as a rosette not singly as in palms; the
male inflorescence resembles a cone, a key identifying character. Cycas revoluta is the most
widely cultivated cycad. Edible starch, "sago," can be extracted from the stem of both
Metroxylon sago and Cycas revoluta, which explains the shared common name.
Tropical Palms 9
Palm lily or ti palm. (Fig. 1-5, C) The popular ornamental plants Cordyline australis and C.
terminalis of the Laxmanniaceae and Liliaceae families, respectively, bear these common
names. They are native to, respectively, New Zealand and East Asia. The branching habit
gives the palm lily a resemblance to the branching palm Hyphaene, but has sword-like leaves
crowded together at the end of the branches. These two species of Cordyline also resemble
plants in the genus Dracaena, with which they are often confused.
Screw palm. (Fig. 1-5, D) This common name is applied to Pandanus spiralis and other
species in the genus of the Pandanaceae family. Native to the Old World tropics, its
morphology somewhat resembles the branching Hyphaene palm. The screw palm’s sword-
like leaves form tufted crowns and the tree bears large pineapple-like fruits. Where Pandanus
spp. occur, leaves are widely used for weaving mats, baskets and so on.
Palm fern. This plant is indeed a fern and not a palm. Its scientific name is Cyathea
cunninghamii, originating from New Zealand and Australia, and it is a member of the tree-
fern family, Cyatheaceae. This tall, slender plant has a single stem and pinnate leaves
somewhat resembling those of a true palm.
Palm grass. The specific name for this perennial Asian grass, Setaria palmifolia, is an
indication that the entire leaves resemble those of certain palms. It is classified as belonging
to the grass family, Poaceae/Gramineae.
Panama hat palm. This plant is a monocot like a palm but is a member of the Cyclanthaceae
family and bears the binomial Carludovica palmata. With its palmate leaf, this stemless
understory plant of the lowland forests of Central and South America is often mistaken for a
true palm. The common name comes from the use of the fiber of young leaves to weave high-
quality hats.
Bottle palm. In this case the name is applied to an actual palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) and
to a member of the Ruscaceae family, Nolina recurvata; both plants having a swollen base.
The name “pony tail palm” also is sometimes given to Nolina, because of its foliage.
Objectives, Coverage and Format

The purpose of this report is to provide basic information about palms as non-timber forest
products. The prospective audience includes forestry technicians, international development
workers, policy makers and international conservation and development agencies. Guiding
principles of this report are: 1) to identify and describe palm products; 2) to link the product
to the palm species being exploited as well as to the conservation status of that species; 3) to
give citations within the technical literature to more detailed sources of information if needed.
Strictly ornamental use of palms is not considered in this report, except for a very few
relevant references. Through the use of this report, it will be possible to assess the role palms
and their products can play within integrated forestry, agriculture, conservation and natural
resource management activities.
10 Tropical Palms
Figure 1-5 False Palms. A. The traveler’s palm (Ravenala madagascariensis). B. The
sago palm (Cycas revoluta). C. The palm lily or ti palm (Cordyline spp.). D.
The screw palm (Pandanus spiralis).
This report concentrates on the tropics where the great majority of palm species are to be
found. In a few instances, where it seems practical, information is included on native palms
which occur beyond the tropics. In as much as this report deals with forest products and the
impacts of their exploitation, the focus is on native palms as they occur in the wild. Exotic
palm species are of course present throughout the tropics, being grown casually as ornamental
species or on plantations as in the case of major economic species. In a few instances, exotic
palms have become naturalized and are able to grow on their own in their new habitat.
Domesticated palms are discussed because of the examples they represent in terms of the
ways in which their products have been used and developed. To achieve full coverage of
palm products, palm stem wood is included in this report, despite the "non-wood"
designation.
Tropical Palms 11
Three distinct parts constitute this report. Part one consists of the first three chapters. This
first chapter provides a general introduction to palms as the diverse group of plants they
represent. It is followed by an examination of the ways in which historically human societies
have made use of palm products. Case studies of indigenous palm use and short summaries
of the characteristics of the major domesticated palms are included. Chapter 3 focuses on
contemporary palm products and provides a means to classify products and their processing
requirements.
Part two provides regional examinations of utilized native palms in Asia, the Pacific, Latin
America and Africa. The same general approach is used in Chapters 4-7: to consider native
utilized species on the basis of their conservation status in the wild, either "threatened" or
"non-threatened." Selected local palm names are included in the tables. Chapter 8 attempts a
pantropical review of palm products and addresses the issue of which species have the most
development potential and how a coordinated effort could be beneficial for sustainable palm
utilization and development.
The final third of the report includes a section devoted to an assemblage of tables on the
technical properties of palm products. Other sections consists of a lengthy list of cited
references, a compilation of other palm information sources, a directory of palm specialists
and a list of the most threatened palms in the world.
12 Tropical Palms
Tropical Palms 13
2 HISTORICAL ROLE OF PALMS IN HUMAN CULTURE

Pre-industrial indigenous people of the past as well as of the present have an intimate and
direct relationship with the renewable natural resources of their environment. Prior to the
Industrial Age, wild and cultivated plants and wild and domesticated animals provided all of
the food and most of the material needs of particular groups of people. Looking back to those
past times it is apparent that a few plant families played a prominent role as a source of edible
and nonedible raw materials. For the entire world, three plant families stand out in terms of
their past and present utility to humankind: the grass family (Gramineae), the legume family
(Leguminosae) and the palm family (Palmae). If the geographic focus is narrowed to the
tropical regions, the importance of the palm family is obvious.
The following discussion sets out to provide an overview of the economic importance of
palms in earlier times. No single comprehensive study has yet been made of the historical
role of palms in human culture, making this effort more difficult. A considerable amount of
information on the subject is scattered in the anthropological and sociological literature as part
of ethnographic treatments of culture groups throughout the tropics. Moreover, historical uses
of products from individual palm species can be found in studies of major economic species
such as the coconut or date palms. It should also be noted that in addition to being highly
utilitarian, palms have a pivotal role in myth and ritual in certain cultures.
Three different but complementary approaches are taken to elucidate the historical role of
palms in human culture. An initial approach is to look at ancient and traditional palm
products, which deals mostly but not exclusively with subsistence palm uses. Next, case
studies of indigenous groups and their particular array of palm uses are presented. Finally, the
subject of palm domestication is addressed.
Ancient and Traditional Palm Products

The assortment of products that have been derived from palms at some time or another is
indeed impressive. Although now somewhat dated, one of the best and concise summaries of
palm usage can be found in Dahlgren (1944). Balick and Beck22 (1990), in their excellent
bibliography, compiled a list of 388 keywords to describe palm products. The bibliography
editors broke down these many products into a dozen major classes, as follows: beverages;
building materials; chemicals and industrial products; cosmetics and hygiene; feeds;
fertilizers; food; fuel; handicrafts; medicines and rituals; ornamental plants; and structure and
shelter. Handicrafts represent the largest class with 162 products and is divided into nine
subclasses.
As a means of demonstrating some of the oldest human palm uses, the foregoing product
classes are followed and one or more individual examples cited within each class, except in
the instance of handicrafts where subclasses are included. It is not the intention here to
describe in detail the processing of particular palm products, but instead to give a historical
perspective through examples that will aid in better understanding the current situation and
the potential for palm product development, subjects to be dealt with in future chapters of this
report. In choosing the examples presented below, preference was given, whenever possible,
2
Useful Palms of the World: A Synoptic Bibliography, represents the most comprehensive single source of
information on palm utilization. It provides abstracts of 1,039 publications.
14 Tropical Palms
to traditional products directly used by local populations. Selected bibliographic references

are provided.
Beverages. Palm wine or toddy is an ancient beverage derived from the sap of a number of
different palm species, and serves as an appropriate example of a beverage. The sap is
obtained by tapping and collecting the liquid in a receptacle from the inflorescence of the tree
employing sophisticated techniques that must have required considerable trial-and-error
experimentation. Tapping the stem or felling the tree is also a means of obtaining sap that are
much simpler. There is no difference in the quality of the sap obtained from the different
methods. Because of the presence of naturally-occurring yeast, the sweet palm sap ferments
within hours into a mild alcoholic beverage.
Palm tapping for beverage purposes is a pantropical practice, but has its greatest historical
depth in Asia and Africa. In Asia, several palm species are traditional sources of palm wine;
among them are the coconut (Cocos nucifera), the palmyra (Borassus flabellifer), the wild
date (Phoenix sylvestris) and nipa (Nypa fruticans). Hamilton and Murphy (1988) describe
tapping of nipa palm in Southeast Asia. The African continent has a long tradition of palm
wine production, for example from the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), the doum palms
(Hyphaene spp), and the raffia palms (Raphia spp.), as well as the Senegal date palm
(Phoenix reclinata). Essiamah (1992) provides a description of palm wine production in
West Africa from the African oil palm; Cunningham (1990a,b) reports on the tapping of
Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata in southeastern Africa. Tapping palms for the
production of palm wine in Latin America and the Caribbean also has a long history, but the
practice is uncommon today. Two examples of wine palms in South America are the moriche
palm (Mauritia flexuosa) (Gumilla, 1963) and the Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis)
(Grau, 2006).
Building Materials. Within this class of products is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous
palm products of all: thatch. Palm thatch is widely used for temporary and more permanent
structures. The leaves of virtually all palms can be used for thatch, whether they are pinnate,
palmate or entire in shape. This palm use is so widespread that there is almost no need to give
examples of particular geographic areas or palm species. Bomhard (1964) provides a good
summary of the various ways palms are utilized in building houses. An annotated
bibliography of palm leaf and stem use was compiled by Killmann et al. (1989). Leaf sheath
fiber may also be used for thatch. Arenga pinnata, for example, is a source of very durable
thatch of this type, lasting 50 years or more (J. Dransfield, pers. com.)
Utilizing palm thatch is simple. Leaves are cut from the palm, generally selecting leaves that
are younger and more flexible. Transported to the construction site, the leaves are attached
individually to a roof frame in an overlapping fashion beginning at the lowest point. When a
palm is exploited that has small leaves, the leaves may be attached to a stick in the form of a
panel before being affixed to the roof. The small understory Amazonian palm Lepidocaryum
tenue is used in this manner. A palm-thatched roof is light-weight and, if tightly made,
remarkably waterproof. But at the same time it is porous, allowing air movement and the
escape of cooking-fire smoke. A roof will last for a few years, the length of time depending
upon the local climate and the type of palm leaf used.
Chemicals and Industrial Products. Clearly this class of products is modern. Nevertheless
an original traditional palm product can be mentioned. Dragon’s blood is the common name
for the red resinous exudation which occurs on the scales of fruits of the Southeast Asian
Tropical Palms 15
rattans Daemonorops didymophylla, D. draco and related species. (The original source of
dragon’s blood was Dracaena spp. in the Ruscaceae family). This resinous substance was a
dye source for coloring cloth, woven mats and the like among indigenous peoples and in the
19th Century was adopted for industrial use in Europe as both a varnish and dye. In the
traditional medicine of Southeast Asia, dragon’s blood was used to treat stomach ailments, a
use carried over into European medicine for a time (Burkill, 1966). Apparently dragon’s
blood continues to be of industrial use as a resin and is commercially available (Merlini and
Nasini, 1976). Its therapeutic uses were studied by Gupta et al. (2008).
Cosmetics and Hygiene. Palm oils in general have a wide variety of household and industrial
uses (see Hodge, 1975). An example within this product class can be cited from Madagascar
where mesocarp oil of the raffia palm (Raphia farinifera) has been employed as a traditional
hairdressing (Sadebeck, 1899).
Feeds. Cattle can be fed fresh young palm leaves if there is a shortage of better forage, as
occurs in tropical areas subject to a protracted dry season. Leaves are cut and brought to the
cattle and may or may not be chopped into smaller pieces to make them easier to consume. If
the palms are of low enough stature, cattle and other livestock may forage on them directly.
In Paraguay, leaves of the mbocaya palm (Acrocomia aculeata) provide forage (Markley,
1953). Palm fruits in general are eaten by swine.
Fertilizer. Traditional palm exploitation indirectly produces quantities of organic matter such
as waste fruit parts, leaves and stalks suitable for incorporation into garden soil as fertilizer.
Food. This class of palm products represents the most important in economic terms since it
includes the vegetable oils. Best known are the coconut (Cocos nucifera) and the African oil
palm (Elaeis guineensis), both now commercially cultivated as sources of oil throughout the
tropical realm. In addition, there are a number of Neotropical oil palms of lesser importance
(see Balick, 1979a).
There are two types of oil derived from the palm fruit: mesocarp oil and endosperm (kernel)
oil. Both types have a long history of pre-industrial utilization for culinary and other purposes
throughout the tropics. The African oil palm is a good example because it is a source of both
oil types; the mesocarp and the kernel each contain about 50 percent oil. In this palm, oil can
be extracted from the fleshy mesocarp most easily. Fruits are fermented for a few days,
pounded to remove the pulp which is boiled in water and the oil skimmed off. Mesocarp oil
remains liquid at ambient temperatures in the tropics. Extraction of kernel oil requires
crushing the kernels and mechanically pressing the resultant cake to express the oil.
Some lesser-known palm food items include: 1) eating young male inflorescences of the
Central American pacaya palm (Chamaedorea tepejilote), Castillo Mont et al. (1994); 2) salt
(potassium chloride) derived from burning palm leaves (Karlansky, 2002); 3) purple pollen
from male flowers of Eugeissona utilis, used by the Penan of Borneo as a condiment (Kiew,
1977); 4) makapuno, a special type of coconut which has its shell filled with a soft, jelly-like
endosperm, rather than coconut water and coconut meat. Makapuno endosperm has a unique
flavor and in the Philippines is esteemed for use in sweet dishes and even ice cream (Ohler,
1984).
In recent years, the positive role of antioxidants (e.g. vitamins C and E) in human health has
prompted reassessment of fresh fruits as dietary sources. Fruit of the açaí palm (Euterpe
oleracea) of Brazil was found to be extraordinarily rich in antioxidants (Schauss, 2006). Açaí
16 Tropical Palms
juice, as a result, has become a new product on the United States market. There are other
fleshy palm fruits known to be rich in antioxidants including date palm (Rock et al., 2009),
peach palm (Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes) (Jatunov et al., 2009) and salak (Salacca
zalacca) (Aralas et al., 2009). These new developments provide opportunities for promoting
palm fruit commercialization.
Fuel. The simplest fuel usages of palms are exemplified by the burning of dry palm leaves,
petioles, stem wood and fruit husks of some species such as the coconut. Often such fuels
represent using by-products of the extraction of some other palm product. This palm use is
ubiquitous.
Handicrafts. This class of palm products is exceedingly large and for that reason has been
subdivided into nine subclasses.
Agricultural Implements. Climbing loops are traditional devices often made from palm leaf
fiber, midribs or petioles. They are employed as an aid in climbing palms to harvest fruit,
leaves or to tap the tree for sap; loops are, of course, used to climb trees other than palms for
similar purposes. There are a number of different styles of climbing loops across the tropics.
A type employed in West Africa is made from the petiole and leaf fiber of the African oil
palm. It encircles both the tree trunk and the climber, permitting him to have his hands free to
tap, in many cases, the same palm species which has provided materials for the climbing loop.
Clothing. The classic example of this palm use is a hat made from palm leaf material, a use
found throughout the tropics. Young pinnate and palmate leaves of virtually any palm species
serves for hat making. The weave may be coarse or fine depending upon how thin the leaflets
are stripped and the amount of time invested by the artisan. Leaf fiber can also be woven into
cloth and made into clothing. Raphia fiber is used extensively for this purpose in
Madagascar even today (J. Dransfield, pers. com).
Furniture. Hammocks represent an article of furniture often made from fiber extracted from
young palm leaves. In South America, the pinnate-leaf chambira palm (Astrocaryum
chambira) is the preferred palm fiber source (Wheeler, 1970). The fiber is made into string
and then woven into an open mesh hammock. The word hammock is Amerindian in origin
and the weaving and use of hammocks appears to be restricted to the Neotropics as an ancient
practice.
Coconut wood has many uses, including making furniture and building products (Weldy,
2002).
Games and Toys. A variety of simple objects for children to play with in the tropics are
fashioned from palm leaves and petioles. Certain games involve palm products. In Southeast
Asia, for example, hollow balls made of wound rattan strips are kicked in a game played by
children and adults. Historically, in Sri Lanka, a variety of coconut was cultivated with an
exceptionally thick shell (endocarp) for a game called "fighting coconuts." The game
involves two competitors each clutching one of these special coconuts. The contest entails
striking the coconuts together until one breaks, the holder of the intact nut being the winner.
Household Items. Sieves represent examples of ubiquitous household items made from palm
fiber throughout the tropical regions. Thin strips of leaflets are woven in a square or diagonal
Tropical Palms 17
pattern to produce a rectangular or round sieve. Wood sticks are often incorporated into the
edge to prevent fraying and make the sieve easier to handle.
Jewelry. Among many cultural groups in the tropics necklaces traditionally are made by
stringing small palm seeds. The hard endosperm of the Caroline ivory nut palm (Metroxylon
amicarum), native to the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, is carved into beads and
buttons. In Tropical America the tagua palm (Phytelephas macrocarpa) bears seeds with a
hard endosperm which is fashioned into jewelry and other decorative objects; it is often
referred to as “vegetable ivory.”
A mythical palm product is appropriate to this heading: coconut pearls. Alleged to have been
found inside coconuts, they have been touted for their rarity and even displayed in museums.
However, despite a number of historical references to coconut pearls, no modern reports exist
to support their validity. Analysis of some so-called coconut pearls has revealed that they are
composed of calcium carbonate, which does not occur in any appreciable quantity in the
coconut fruit (Child, 1974; Ohler, 1984).
Musical Instruments. In addition to the use of palm fiber to make strings for musical
instruments, drums can be made from hollowed-out palm stems. The palmyra palm
(Borassus flabellifer) has reportedly been used for this latter purpose in parts of Asia.
Stationery and Books. Palm leaves were an ancient writing material in India, perhaps as old
as written language itself. Segments of the palmate leaves of the talipot palm (Corypha
umbraculifera), as well as some other palms, were written upon with a metal stylus.
Examples of these palm leaf manuscripts are preserved in museums.
Weapons and Hunting Tools. Palm wood is widely used for this purpose. For example,
indigenous people in the Philippines utilize the hard outer wood of the palms in the genus
Livistona to make bows and spear shafts (Brown and Merrill, 1919).
Medicines and Ritual. Throughout their range palms are sources of folk medicines and are a
part of rituals. Dragon’s blood resin (see above) is burned as incense in witchcraft rituals in
the United States and is sold in shops specializing in products associated with witchcraft and
magic.
An example combining medicinal and ritual use is found in the betel nut palm (Areca
catechu). Large numbers of people in Asia and Polynesia have for millennia chewed betel
seeds mixed with fresh betel pepper leaf and a bit of slaked lime; it is the classic Asian
masticatory. The betel nut contains an alkaloid that is mildly narcotic (see Table 9-1).
Ornamental Use. Flowers are universally used as decorations for many types of rites and
ceremonies. In the tropics, branches of palm inflorescences are often employed. Sprigs of
coconut flowers, for example, are used in India and Sri Lanka for wedding decorations.
Leaves of wild Chamaedorea palms in Mexico and Central America are collected, exported
and sold for cut foliage in floral arrangements (see Table 6-1).
Palm leaves have a traditional role in the three major world religions. For example, white
date palm leaves are produced commercially in Elche, Spain and Bordighera, Italy, especially
for use in ceremonies during Holy Week in the Christian world. Leaves are prepared by
wrapping new leaves to protect them from light; the result after about one year is a fully
18 Tropical Palms
developed pale nearly white leaf. White leaves are sold within Spain and Italy and exported
to other countries (Gómez and Ferry, 1999).
Structure and Shelter. This is another huge class of palm products. A couple of the less
common uses are the rigging of sailing vessels with thin rattans rather than rope in Indonesia,
and the use of entire stems of the caranday palm (Copernicia alba) as utility poles in
Paraguay. Hollowed out palm stems have a variety of uses. Small diameter stems can serve
as blow guns and water pipes; the swollen portion of some large diameter palms have been
used to make canoes (Johnson and Mejia, 1998) and even coffins.
The product classes employed in this section portray the great variety of palm products, past
and present, and cover every aspect of material culture. But that does not explain everything
about palms and human culture. Apart from their value as a source of useful products, palms
are also of general interest simply because of their beauty and symmetry, which may help to
explain the role of palms in religion and folklore.
Case Studies: Indigenous Groups and Their Use of Palms
Shifting away from a product approach to a focus on specific indigenous groups and their
utilization of palms provides another dimension to this discussion. For this purpose, accounts
of palm use have been taken from studies in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and Latin America.
Criteria for selection of the case studies were as follows: focus on a particular indigenous
group, local as well as scientific names of the utilized palms were known and palm use was
described in some detail. Moreover, an attempt was made to have the case studies represent
widely separated geographic regions and a diversity of local palm species diversity. The four
case studies chosen describe the Iban of Sarawak, the Shipibo of Amazonian Peru, the
Kwanyama Ovambo of Namibia and the Trukese of the Caroline Islands of Micronesia in the
Pacific. The grammatical present tense is used in this section to refer to both past and present
palm uses.
The Iban
This first case study focuses on the Iban, an indigenous group in southwestern Sarawak, East
Malaysia. The Iban inhabit an area of largely undisturbed natural forest, with heavy rainfall,
varied terrain and an attitudinal range of sea level to 760 m. Kubah National Park occupies
about 2,230 ha in the area. Pearce (1994) studied the palms of the park and its immediate
environs and gathered excellent data on the identity of the palms as well as their utilization by
the Iban people. Pearce relied on earlier systematic studies by J. Dransfield, when she did
field work in 1990. Southwestern Sarawak is considered to have one of the richest palm
floras in the world, as evidenced by the cataloging of 99 palms in and around the park.
The 47 native palms used by the Iban are listed in Table 2-1. The predominance of the rattan
palm genera (Calamus, Daemonorops, Korthalsia, Plectocomia and Plectocomiopsis) is
striking as they together account for 31 of the 47 palms.
Tropical Palms 19
Table 2-1 Iban, Sarawak, Malaysia, Utilization of Native Palms
Scientific Name/Iban Name Uses
Arenga hastata, mudor down on stem as tinder
Calamus blumei, wi kijang baskets
Calamus caesius, sega many uses, the best split rattan
Calamus conirostris, rotan basket spars and weaving; general uses
Calamus corrugatus, many uses, as good as Calamus caesius; smallest

wijanggut diameter of local cane
Calamus crassifolius, binding basket edges and parangs (bush knives); sewing
witakong atap (thatch)
Calamus flabellatus, baskets; various other uses

wi takung
Calamus gonospermus, sega ai baskets, split or whole
Calamus hispidulus, rotan cane can be used
Calamus javensis, wi anak baskets, split or whole
Calamus laevigatus var. baskets, mats, tying

laevigatus, rotan lio
Calamus laevigatus var. good cane

mucronatus, rotan
Calamus marginatus, sold as Calamus caesius

wi matahari
Calamus mattanensis, baskets; many other uses

rotan lemba
Calamus muricatus, rotan baskets, rough temporary; tying; good split or whole
putch
Calamus nematospadix, rotan baskets; various other uses; sewing atap (split)
tunggal
Calamus paspalanthus, rotan edible palm heart, sour fruit; cane

tingkas
Calamus pilosellus, binding

rotan anak
Caryota mitis, mudor edible palm heart; stem down for tinder
20 Tropical Palms
Ceratolobus discolor, danan basket spars, weaving
Ceratolobus subangulatus, baskets, tying, etc.

rotan janggut
Daemonorops acamptostachys, fishing baskets from petiole skin

rotan duduk
Daemonorops cristata, fruit exudate as gum; fruit eaten by children

wi getah
Daemonorops didymophylla, baskets, especially earth baskets; sarcotesta sweet and

wi getah, rotan jernang juicy
Daemonorops fissa basket spars, weaving; fruit slightly sweet, edible; palm
(none) heart edible, sold locally
Daemonorops periacantha, wi basket edges, mats, chairs; palm heart and fruit edible
empunok
Daemonorops sabut, basket spars, weaving

wi lepoh
Eugeissona insignis, petiole pith for dart plugs, petiole skin for baskets; palm
pantu kejatau heart and young fruit edible
Korthalsia cheb, furniture and general utility

danan semut
Korthalsia echinometra, cane used

wi seru
Korthalsia ferox, baskets, furniture, many other uses.

danan kuning
Korthalsia flagellaris, danan baskets, weaving, many other uses
Korthalsia rigida, baskets, chairs, various other uses

danan tai manok
Korthalsia rostrata, baskets, chicken coops; sewing (split); tying logs

danan wi batu
Licuala bintulensis, biru leaflets for hats, wrapping; petiole skin for weaving
winnowing baskets
Licuala orbicularis, leaves for wrapping, making hats, umbrellas and atap
biru bulat
Licuala petiolulata, gerenis petiole skin for making baskets

Tropical Palms 21
Licuala valida, pala petiole skin for winnowing baskets; leaflets for wrapping;
palm heart edible
Oncosperma horridum, nibong bark for floors and walls; palm heart edible
Pinanga cf. ligulata, pinang stem for lance shaft
Pinanga mooreana, walking sticks; fruit eaten

pinang murind
Plectocomia mulleri, baskets, chairs, etc; good split

rotan tibu
Plectocomiopsis nov. sp., many uses; very useful because nodes are flat
belibih
Salacca affinis, ridan petiole for fishing rods; petiole skin for baskets; leaves
for camp shelters; fruit edible
Salacca vermicularis, petiole skin for weaving baskets; fruit edible

lamayung
Salacca nov. sp., lekam fruit (sweet-sour) edible
Source: Pearce, 1994.
The Shipibo
The Shipibo of Peru serve as a second case study. These Amerindian people occupy tropical
lowland forest land on the central Ucayali River, a tributary of the Amazon, near the Peruvian
city of Pucallpa. Bodley and Benson (1979) made a detailed study of the Shipibo which
focused on the utilization of palms in everyday life. Field research was carried out in 1976-
1977. In vegetation surveys, the authors found within the Shipibo reserve and adjoining areas
a rich palm flora of at least 24 species. Data were collected on the contemporary utilization of
palms and products identified to their species of origin. Table 2-2 lists 19 different local
palms utilized by the Shipibo.
As Table 2-2 shows, considerable use is made of palms for building materials, food and
handicrafts. It is interesting to note that the Shipibo have taken their tradition of making bows
and arrows from palm wood and turned it into crafting souvenirs to sell to tourists visiting the
area.
22 Tropical Palms
Table 2-2 Shipibo, Peru, Utilization of Native Palms
Scientific and Shipibo Common Names Uses
Astrocaryum huicungo*, páni new pinnate leaves to make women’s

spinning basket; stems as house posts
Astrocaryum jauari, yahuarhuanqui stems as house posts; petioles to make

burden baskets; ripe fruit as fish bait
Attalea bassleriana*, cansín, shebón pinnate leaves for thatch; new leaves to make
sitting mats, small baskets; leaf pinnae to
make brooms; edible fruit
Attalea tessmannii, conta leaf pinnae to make brooms
Bactris concinna, shiní edible fruit
Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes, juani cultivated for edible fruit; stem wood made
into bows, arrow points, lances, awls, clubs,
spindles, loom parts
Bactris maraja, taná edible fruit; stems as house floor supports,

rafters
Chelyocarpus ulei, bonká palmate leaves as sitting mats, umbrellas,

bush meat wrapper
Euterpe precatoria, paná stems as house posts; stem slats as house

walls; edible palm heart; fruit mesocarp oil as
women’s hair dressing
Geonoma deversa, quebón juani stems to support mosquito nets
Iriartea deltoidea*, tao stem wood for house flooring, shelving,

rafters, support beams, harpoon staves, arrow
points, roof ridge pins; swollen stem for
temporary canoe
Mauritia flexuosa, vinon edible fruit; petioles for loom parts; split
petioles woven into sitting mats
Maximiliana venatorum (unplaced name), split petioles woven into sleeping mats;
canis spathe made into hanging storage basket
Oenocarpus bataua var. bataua*, isá edible fruit; leaf pinnae made into brooms
Oenocarpus mapora*, jephue isá stem wood for bows and arrows sold to
tourists; edible fruits; stems as house posts
Phytelephas macrocarpa*, jephue pinnate leaves for roof thatch; petiole made
into tray-like storage basket; edible immature
fruit endosperm
Tropical Palms 23
Scientific and Shipibo Common Names Uses
Socratea exorrhiza, sino stem wood for flooring, bows and arrow for
tourists; spiny roots as graters
Syagrus sancona, shuhui stem wood for loom parts
Note: * Binomials changed to currently accepted names.

Source: Bodley & Benson, 1979.
The Kwanyama Ovambo
Case study three is from Africa where palm species diversity is low, but palm populations
often significant; in such cases palm utilization may be high and varied, but focused on a few
species.
The Kwanyama live in Ovamboland which lies in north-central Namibia bordering Angola to
the north. The latitude is approximately 17.5O south, elevations average about 1,000 m and
annual rainfall is 520 mm. Namibia has only two native palms. The most prevalent is the
African ivory nut palm, common name omulunga, Hyphaene petersiana ; this species of
Hyphaene is single-stemmed and does not branch. The second palm is the Senegal date palm,
vernacular name omulunga wangolo, Phoenix reclinata.
Rodin (1985) published a detailed ethnobotanical study of the Kwanyama based upon field
work in 1947 and 1973. More recently, Konstant et al. (1995) and Sullivan et al. (1995)
studied exploitation of Hyphaene petersiana in the same general area. Table 2-3 summarizes
palm utilization based on these references.
Table 2-3 Kwanyama Ovambo, Namibia, Utilization of Native Palms
Palm Product Classes* Uses of African ivory nut palm, Hyphaene petersiana,
except as noted
beverages palm wine by fermenting mesocarp pulp and from sap by

tapping flower bud; palm wine distilled into spirits
building materials leaves for thatch; leaf fiber made into rope; petioles for hut
construction, fencing
chemicals and industrial vegetable ivory (hard endosperm) carved into buttons,
products ornamental objects
cosmetics and hygiene shredded leaves dyed for wigs
feeds cattle, goats and donkeys rely on palms for fodder
fertilizer likely, but not specifically stated in references cited

24 Tropical Palms
Palm Product Classes* Uses of African ivory nut palm, Hyphaene petersiana,
except as noted
food edible palm heart, raw fibrous fruit mesocarp; fruits of

Phoenix reclinata eaten fresh or preserved by drying
fuel petioles, flower stalks for cooking fires
handicrafts (all types) leaves used to weave baskets, mats, hats; petioles made into
hunting bows, carrying poles, stirring spoons; leaflets woven
into special beer strainer; fused twin seeds as children’s’ dolls
medicines and ritual leaves used to shape headdresses and bridal hats; skirts,
necklaces and bracelets braided from leaf blades during
female puberty rites
ornamental use shade tree, likely, but not specifically stated in references
cited
structure and shelter stems hollowed out for cattle water troughs
Note: * After Balick & Beck, 1990.

Sources: Rodin, 1985; Konstant et al., 1995; Sullivan et al., 1995.
Palm use is recorded within each of 12 product classes developed by Balick and Beck (1990),
and all originate from the African ivory nut palm, except for limited food use of the fruits of
the Senegal date palm, a rare tree in the area. No medicinal use of this palm is reported
despite its intensive exploitation and the fact that other species of Hyphaene play a role in
medicine. Rodin (1985) asserts that the ivory nut palm is the most useful of all the native
plants in Ovamboland; he further states that it is illegal to cut down the palm because of its
exceptional value to the local people.
The Trukese
The final case study is from the Pacific Ocean region. Geographically Truk designates a
group of islands which form a part of the Caroline Islands, which are located about 680 miles
southeast of Guam. The inhabitants, the Trukese, are Micronesians.
Despite its equatorial latitude, Truk has very poor palm species diversity. According to
Moore and Fosberg (1956), only three species of palms occur naturally in the Truk Islands;
namely Clinostigma carolinensis, an endemic palm under threat of extinction, the Caroline
ivory nut palm, "os" in the local language, (Metroxylon amicarum) and the nipa palm (Nypa
fruticans). The coconut palm, locally-called "ny," (Cocos nucifera) is naturalized and widely
cultivated on Truk. Other reported introduced species in the islands are the betel nut palm
(Areca catechu) and the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis).
LeBar (1964) conducted a study of the material culture of Truk which revealed the extent to
which the local people make use of floral resources to provide their needs. Field research was
done in 1947-1948. Using the categories in LeBar’s study, information on palm use was
excerpted and is presented in Table 2-4.
Tropical Palms 25
Table 2-4 documents the utilization of only the coconut and ivory nut palms, but the diversity
of coconut palm use, with examples in every material culture category, is impressive. The
significance of the coconut palm among the Trukese may have been enhanced during the
years of Japanese control of the islands (1914-1945) when coconut growing for copra
production was encouraged. The absence of hat making from palm leaves is because of the
presence and use of pandanus for that purpose.
The four preceding case studies demonstrate how very important palms are, for subsistence
and commercial purposes, to indigenous peoples throughout the tropics. Most revealing about
the case studies is that palm utilization is equally intense in areas of high and low palm
species diversity. A major difference appears to be that local people have a choice of
different palms to exploit for the same end use where high palm species diversity occurs; for
example, leaves for thatching or weaving.
Table 2-4 Trukese, Caroline Islands, Pacific Ocean, Utilization of Palms
Material Uses of coconut (Cocos nucifera), except as noted

Culture
Category
tools and utensils fiber cord as polisher; leaflet midrib made into needle; shell flask made
with coconut fiber handle; dry husks or old palm leaf basket as
cushion; leaf sheath fiber to hold grated coconut meat to be pressed;
fiber cord made into tree climbing loops
Cordage coir fiber for cordage
plaiting leaflet plaited into mats: single wall mat, double wall mat, canoe mat;
leaflet baskets: temporary field basket, semipermanent field basket,
woman’s fish basket, woman’s weaving basket; leaflet fans; cord
baskets
weaving ivory nut palm midrib to make loom parts; coconut fiber sling for
loom
chemical coconut shell molds used for dye cake; netted fiber bag to store shell
industries molds; coconut water base used to rinse fabrics before dyeing; grated
coconut meat rubbed on dyed fabric to produce sheen; coconut oil base
for perfume; spathe ash added to lime in making cement
agriculture coconut a major crop, many varieties recognized; copra provides cash
income
hunting and half coconut shell containing bait used in bird snare; leaflet midrib used
fishing in making crab snares; coconut cloth used to wrap fish poison; coconut
leaf sweeps used to drive fish into weirs and nets; dried leaf torches
used in night spear fishing and harpooning sea turtles; leaflet used to tie
knots as part of divination in turtle fishing; coconut water drunk as part
of ritual before bonito fishing; leaflet midribs used to make fishing
kite; dried midrib leaflet made into netting needle; ivory nut palm leaf
midrib used as net mesh gauge; coconut fiber lines to catch sea turtles;
dry coconut meat gratings tossed in water to attract fish
26 Tropical Palms
Material Uses of coconut (Cocos nucifera), except as noted

Culture
Category
food and coconut cream used extensively in cooking; coconut meat gratings
stimulants burned in smudge fire to repel mosquitoes; dry husk or shredded leaf
base fiber used a tinder; half coconut shells used in food preparation
and as drinking cups; fresh coconut water as beverage; sweet and
fermented toddy from palm sap
housing leaf matting and fronts used for walls on temporary shelters; ivory nut
palm leaves made into thatch sheets for roofing; coconut frond midrib
strips are used to tie ivory nut palm leaves to binding rods; fiber cord
used to tie thatch sheets to rafters; fiber ropes used in pole-and-sling
operation to carry large house timbers; palm fronds used to cover
earthen house floors; coconut shell flask of perfume kept in storage box
to impart sweet scent to clothing
canoes fiber cord used to attach and decorate end pieces and attach outrigger
booms; young leaflets are strung on coconut fiber cord around outside
of gunwales of large paddling canoes for decoration; shell halves used
for bailing
clothing plaited coconut fiber used to make reef shoes
ornaments coconut shell made into small beads to decorate belts, bands and to
make necklaces and pendants; burning spathe applied to sea turtle shell
to loosen shell; turtle shell softened by boiling in mixture of coconut
milk and sea water; coconut shell pieces used for ear piercing and made
into ear rings; shell used in making comb handles; palm leaf midrib
used to apply pigment in tattooing; glowing end of coconut leaflet
midrib used in scarification
weapons coconut wood used to make spears; fiber cord to make slings
recreation objects coconut meat used to close end of nose flute
Source: LeBar, 1964.
Palm Domestication
A final perspective on the historical palm use can be realized through examination of the
subject of palm domestication. Domestication of a particular palm species represents the end-
point of a continuum that begins with utilization of wild palms (Clement, 1992). Over time,
utilization leads to some level of management of wild populations; in turn this can result in
the palm being brought into cultivation. At the point where cultivation begins, true selection
also is assumed to begin for the cultivator will gather for propagation fruit or suckers from
plants which have certain desirable qualities such as rapid growth, large fruit size or the like.
Over many plant generations cultivated palms will come to exhibit morphological and genetic
characters markedly different from their wild relatives; they are then deemed to be
domesticated.
Tropical Palms 27
Five well-known palm species are clearly domesticated and all are currently major economic
species: betel nut palm (Areca catechu), coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), date palm (Phoenix
dactylifera), African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and pejibaye or peach palm (Bactris
gasipaes var. gasipaes).
An unusual example of a noncommercial domesticated palm is the coco cumbé palm

(Parajubaea cocoides) of South America. It is known only as an ornamental tree in Andean
cities and towns of Ecuador and Colombia. Moraes and Henderson (1990) postulate that coco
cumbé probably originated from the wild P. torallyi which is endemic to Bolivia.
On the path to domestication is the aguaje palm (Mauritia flexuosa) of the Amazon Region
(Delgado et al., 2007).
The palm domestication process is driven by an economic interest in one key product, as is
generally the case in plant domestication. The principal product is in some instances mutually
exclusive to another palm use; in other instances the predominance of the key economic
product may overshadow other useful products of the same palm and preclude development of
the palm in a more integrated fashion. This situation can be remedied by promoting greater
understanding of the inherent multipurpose character of already-domesticated palms as well
as those with domestication potential. For present purposes, it is useful to review the
domestication of the five major palms and their multipurpose character.
Betel Nut Palm (Areca catechu)
This palm appears to have been domesticated for its hard dried endosperm which contains the
alkaloid arecoline and is chewed as a mild narcotic. Similar to the chewing of tobacco, betel
nut use poses serious health problems. Betel nut has a number of reported medicinal uses.
The origin of the betel nut palm is unclear because of its long history of use, the fact that a
definitely wild population has never been found and that it is but one of about 47 species
distributed in South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In India it has been in cultivation for
as many as 3,000 years, but is considered to have been introduced from Southeast Asia at an
earlier time (Bavappa et al., 1982).
India is the leading world producer of betel nut; in 2003 there were some 290,000 ha under
cultivation on plantations and small farms with production amounting to 330,000 t (
http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/betelnut_production__trade.html ). Bavappa et al.
(1982), in the most comprehensive study of this palm, devoted a chapter to alternative uses of
betel nut. The endosperm contains tannin obtained as a by-product of preparing immature
nuts for chewing and also fat comparable to coconut oil (see Table 9-1). Currently in India
the husk is used as fuel or mulch although it is a source of fiber material suitable for hard
board, paper board and pulp for paper. Leaf sheaths have traditional uses to make containers
and represent a raw material with industrial applications to manufacture plyboard as well as
disposable cups and plates. Betel nut palm leaves are used for thatch and organic manure and
the stem wood made into a variety of articles such as waste paper baskets. The palm heart is
the only food product from this palm.
Additional technical information on the betel nut palm can be found in a 1982 symposium
proceeding (Shama Bhat and Radhakrishnan Nair, 1985). An extensive bibliography on the
subject has also been published (Joshi and Ramachandra Reddy, 1982).
28 Tropical Palms
Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera)
This is the most ubiquitous palm of tropical coastal areas and a species with which nearly
everyone is familiar. Origin of the coconut has long been a matter of debate; some evidence
(Schuiling and Harries, 1994) suggests that the coconut originated in Malesia (the region
between Southeast Asia and Australasia), where wild types have been found. New DNA
research results trace the origins of Cocos to the Oligocene (ca. 37 MYBP) in Eastern Brazil,
with its divergence from Syagrus at about 35 MYBP. This new evidence of the phylogenetic
history of the coconut should not be confused with the very much more recent domestication
of the palm (Meerow, et al., 2009).
Domesticated coconuts were dispersed by humans and by ocean currents, for the nut will float
and remain viable for three months or more. The chief criterion used in selecting coconuts for
cultivation appears to have been larger nuts with a greater quantity of useable endosperm
(coconut meat). A secondary factor may have been more rapid germination. Exactly when
and where the coconut first was domesticated is a difficult question to answer. Child (1964)
cites evidence that coconuts were in India some 3,000 years ago but may, like the betel nut
palm, have been introduced.
The coconut is often referred to as the "tree of life" because of its multitude of subsistence and
commercial uses (Ohler, 1984; Persley, 1992). Figure 2-1 attempts to capture the remarkable
utility of the coconut palm3. Table 9-10 through Table 9-14 provide technical information on
the major coconut products.
FAOSTAT production data for 2007 show that Indonesia, Philippines and India are the
world’s leading producers of coconuts; together they account for about 75 percent of world
production. The coconut’s primary commercial product is edible oil, derived from the
endosperm, which is one of the world’s most important vegetable oils. The Philippines is the
largest producer of copra and coconut oil. In 2006 the Philippines provided just over 50
percent of world coconut oil exports. Coconut is grown under plantation conditions but
remains an important tree crop of the small farmer who often cultivates the palm in
combination with other annual and perennial crops, and with livestock raising.
A new development plan in the Philippines to plant up to 400,000 ha of coconuts to produce

biofuel for diesel cars could have a large impact on the coconut industry in Southeast Asia. The
project was announced in June 2009 by Pacific Bio-Fields Corporation of Japan and would
utilize abandoned agricultural land in northern Luzon. A portion of the biofuel produced would
be exported to Japan www.reuters.com/article/GCA.../idUSTRE55H1WJ20090618).
Numerous other studies on coconut have been published. A selection of technical information
sources includes the proceedings of two international symposia (Nayar, 1983; Nair et al.,
1993); a lengthy monograph (Menon and Pandalai, 1958); a technical guide written for small
landholders (Bourgoing, 1991); a study of the combining of cattle raising and coconut
growing (Reynolds, 1988); an edited volume on modern coconut management (Ohler, 1999);
a comprehensive new study of coconut cultivation and coconut products (NIIR, 2008) and an
examination of coconut polyculture (Rethinam and Sivaraman, 2008). Information about
world markets for coconut oil, coconut meat and husk fiber (coir) is available in a series of
studies (see: Chapter 11, Additional Information Sources).
3
A number of other palms could similarly be represented as "trees of life," among them are the date palm,
African oil palm, palmyra palm, babaçu palm and pejibaye palm.
Tropical Palms 29
Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
This may represent the oldest domesticated palm, having originated most likely in
Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. The earlier time period would place
the date palm among the most ancient of domesticated plants. Recent research on the date
palm’s origins reveal that the cultivated form is closely related to wild and feral date palms in
the Near East, Middle East and North Africa, and that they are considered to be the same
species (Zohary and Hopf, 2000).
In cultivation there exist numerous date varieties named for the fruit characteristics.
Nutritional data on one of the date varieties is provided in Table 9-26. The date palm is also a
multipurpose species, greatly relied upon for an array of products in its desert environments of
limited vegetation resources (Dowson, 1982; Barreveld, 1993). The three leading date-
producing countries in 2007 were Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia; combined they represented
46 percent of world production (FAOSTAT).
Other sources of technical information on the date palm include the following. Dowson and
Aten (1962) describe date processing in detail; Munier (1973) wrote a general study of the
palm; a lengthy bibliography of date palm was compiled by Asif and Al-Ghamdi (1986) and
there have been published proceedings of two recent international conferences on date palm
held in Abu Dhabi (ECSSR, 2003; Zaid et al., 2007). The current standard reference on all
aspects of date cultivation is by Zaid (2002).
30 Tropical Palms
Figure 2-1 The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera); the tree of life. Examples of end-
products, clockwise. Trunk - construction, wood, timber, plywood, furniture,
picture frames, charcoal. Leaf Sheath - bags, hats, caps, slippers. Sap -
toddy, arrak, vinegar, yeast. Meat -oil, desiccated coconut, copra cake, candy,
coconut water, coconut cheese, coconut milk, jam. Heart - fresh and pickled
palm heart, animal feed. Leaves - mats, hats, slippers, midrib brooms,
draperies, bags, toothpicks, roof thatch, midrib furniture, fencing, fans, fuel,
fodder. Shell - trays, buttons, jewelry, trinkets, charcoal, activated charcoal,
wood preservative, bowls, fuel. Coirdust - coirdust coke, plasterboard, blocks,
insulation, potting mix. Husk - rope, yarn, coir mat, coir fiber, brushes,
cushion and mattress stuffing, compost, fuel. Roots - dyestuff, medicine, fuel.
Tropical Palms 31
African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
The African oil palm represents the most recently domesticated major palm. Within the past
century this palm was brought into formal cultivation and developed to increase its mesocarp
oil productivity through breeding of high-yielding hybrids. The oil palm is unsurpassed in
yield of oil per unit area (Corley and Tinker, 2003). Unlike the three preceding examples, this
palm exists in wild, semi-wild and cultivated states in West Africa where it originates, and
also in Madagascar and East Africa. It is likewise cultivated extensively in Southeast Asia and
to some degree in the New World tropics.
In 2007, Malaysia was the leading nation in production of this vegetable oil, closely followed
by Indonesia; these two countries accounted for over 80 percent of world oil palm fruit
production (FAOSTAT). More studies have been published on the African oil palm than any
other single palm. A sampling of titles includes: an economic study (Moll, 1987); a volume
on research (Corley et al., 1976); a general book on the palm (Surre and Ziller, 1963); and an
example of one of several conference proceedings from Malaysia (Pusparajah and Chew Poh
Soon, 1982). Corley and Tinker (2003) have produced the standard reference on all aspects of
oil palm. Information about world markets for African oil palm as well as babassu can be
found in a series of studies (see: Chapter 11, Additional Information Sources).
Apart from being an outstanding plantation crop, the oil palm remains a multipurpose tree
among local populations in Africa. It is a traditional source of cooking oil, palm wine and
other useful products. Nutritional data on the fruit and oil are given in Table 9-17 and Table
9-18. The African oil palm has potential for multipurpose utilization within the same areas
where it is grown on plantations.
Pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes)
The only example of a major domesticated palm from the American tropics is the pejibaye.
Pejibaye may have originated from a wild relative or relatives (Bactris gaspiaes var.
chichagui is closely related, and has similar but smaller fruits) possibly as a hybrid, in the
southwestern portion of the Amazon Basin and has been widely dispersed by humans in South
and Central America (Clement, 1988; Mora-Urpí, 1996). The palm was domesticated for
either its mesocarp starch or oil; both mesocarp and endosperm are edible after being boiled.
Table 9-2 and Table 9-3 provide nutritional information on the fruit. The palm produces basal
suckers that can be separated for propagation, or it can be grown from seed. Pejibaye has
been under cultivation since ancient times in humid tropical areas at elevations from sea level
to about 1,200 m.
Pre-Columbian uses of pejibaye were documented by Patiño (1963). In addition to the food
uses already mentioned, the palm heart is eaten; the mesocarp pulp is fermented into an
alcoholic beverage (chicha); male flowers are used as an ingredient in flavorings; leaves are
employed for thatching and basketry; spines are made into needles; stem wood is cut to
fashion bows, arrows, fishing poles, harpoons as well as flooring and paneling for houses; the
roots have medicinal use as a vermicide.
Pejibaye has been the object of considerable development in Central and South America
focused on improving fruit quality for human and animal consumption; it is also under
cultivation as a commercial source of palm hearts. An international conference on the
32 Tropical Palms
biology, agronomy and industrialization of pejibaye was held in 1991 in Peru (Mora-Urpí et
al., 1993). Mora-Urpí et al., (1997) and Mora Urpí and Gainza, (1998) are two excellent
sources of information on this palm. Costa Rica is said to be the leading country in pejibaye
cultivation, but data on area and production levels are lacking. To date, pejibaye has not been
cultivated commercially outside the Americas.
Tropical Palms 33
3 CURRENT PALM PRODUCTS

The emphasis in this and subsequent chapters will be on products currently known to be
derived from palms. (Examples of the array of artisanal palm products are shown in Figure
3-1, Figure 3-2 and Figure 3-3.)
With respect to more important economic species, some production statistics are available;
however, as regards most of the minor palms no data are obtainable and anecdotal information
must suffice. Focusing on present-day usage screens out exotic and outdated utilizations and
permits a closer look at those palm products which have stood the test of time and remain of
either subsistence or commercial value and hence have the greatest economic development
potential. It needs to be stated that keeping a focus on palm products promotes re-
examination of the current species as product sources as well as encouraging assessment of
new potential species not currently being exploited.
At this point, some observations regarding contemporary palm products are appropriate and
some terminology needs to be introduced to give clarity to the discussions in this and future
chapters. Obviously, not all of the possible products can be derived from a particular palm all
of the time because one product typically precludes another in practical terms, or some
products are mutually exclusive. All of the major domesticated palms, for example, are
chiefly cultivated for products derived from their fruits; also, fruits are the most important
product of a number of wild palms. Therefore, if fruit production is the prime objective, any
other product extraction from the same tree that would retard or reduce fruit production
should be avoided.
A clear example of a practice that will directly and adversely affect fruit production is tapping
the inflorescence for sap; also, cutting leaves for basketry can impair the normal growth of the
tree and reduce its resistance to pests and diseases.
Palm Product Categories

In assessing and evaluating palms for the many products they can and do provide it is
instructive to consider the individual products as falling into three different general
categories: primary products, secondary or by-products and salvage products44.
Primary Products. These are the chief commercial, or in some cases subsistence, products
derived from a palm. Generally, primary product processing occurs at a point removed from
actual harvesting. Vegetable oil obtained from a palm fruit, for example; or palm stem starch.
An entire plant can represent the primary product when a palm is dug up in the wild and sold
as a live ornamental plant.
Secondary and By-products. As defined and used here, by-products refer to useful items
directly generated by processing of the primary product. Secondary products are those which
require one step of processing from the primary product to reach the desired end product.
Examples of by-products are coir fiber from the coconut mesocarp and press cake remaining
after extracting seed oil, which can be fed to livestock. Some by-products, however, are of
4
An alternative more detailed classification method has been devised by Chandrasekharan (1995) to cover
forest products in general other than wood.
34 Tropical Palms
little if any economic value and even pose disposal problems if unsuitable for use as fertilizer
or fuel. Arrak is an example of a secondary product; naturally fermented palm wine, the
primary product, must first be produced before it can be distilled to produce arrak.
Salvage Products. This terminology characterizes those palm products that are indirectly
generated as a result of harvesting the primary product. Products in this category are typically
discarded at the harvesting site and are not transported to another location as part of primary
processing. Extracting a palm heart from a wild tree kills it; any products subsequently used
such as stem wood or leaves, are by this definition salvage palm products.
Salvage palm products may also derive from other activities such as the cutting of palms for
some land-use related reason, replacement of senescent palms in plantations or palm damage
or destruction due to natural causes such as a tropical cyclone. Living ornamental palms
removed from a site to be cleared to save them from being destroyed would, under such
circumstances, be considered salvage products.
As revealed in the foregoing discussion, either a primary product or a by-product may be

considered to be a salvage product if it was indirectly generated. Distinctions of this type are
worth making because of the information they provide about the origin of the raw material
and the stability of their supply.
A second group of palm product terms is proposed to characterize the extent of processing a
newly-harvested raw material requires to transform it into a commercial item. From the
simple to the most complex, four stages of raw material processing were chosen for use in this
study: immediate use, cottage-level processing, small-scale industrial processing and large-
scale industrial processing.
Immediate Use. Products in this category require little if any processing before being
utilized. Examples include palm fronds cut for use in thatching, coconut water drunk from the
nut, palm heart consumed fresh and entire palm stems used in construction. The only tools
needed to generate immediate-use products is an ax or machete.
Cottage-level Processing. Those products requiring a modest amount of processing fall into
this category so-named because the activities typically are carried out in or near the residence
of the individuals involved. The physical location where palm processing activities is carried
out also functions as living space or for other purposes when the processing is not actively
being carried on; there is no designated processing area exclusively devoted to cottage-level
processing. Traditional extraction of palm mesocarp oil, weaving of mats and other leaf
products, drying of date fruits and carving of vegetable ivory into toys are examples. Very
few tools are required for this level of processing.
Small-scale Industrial Processing. The use of the term "industrial" in designating this
category connotes some specialized equipment, a dedicated locality or structure where
processing takes place and a number of skilled or trained workers. Actual processing
activities may be manual, semi-mechanized or mechanized depending upon their requirements
and the level of investment. Canning of palm hearts, distillation of palm wine to produce
arrak and extraction of coconut oil from copra exemplify this category.
Tropical Palms 35
Figure 3-1 Artisanal Palm Products I. A. Hat woven from palmyra palm (Borassus
flabellifer) leaf fiber, Tamil Nadu, India. B. Spider figure carved from seed
of South American vegetable ivory palm (Phytelephas macrocarpa),
Ecuador; 7.5 cm in diameter. C. Palm climbing belt made from African oil
palm (Elaeis guineensis) petiole and leaf fiber, Guinea-Bissau; 108 cm long,
30 cm wide as illustrated. D. Shoulder bag with strap woven from chambira
palm (Astrocaryum chambira) leaf fiber, Ecuador; 38 cm wide, 25 cm high.
36 Tropical Palms
Figure 3-2 Artisanal Palm Products II. A. Woven basket with attached overlapping lid,
made of palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf fiber, Casamance, Senegal;
20 cm high (closed), 24 cm wide. B. Head figure (a sadhu, a devotee who has
renounced the world and gone to live in a remote area) made of the carved
seed and mesocarp fiber of palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer), Tamil Nadu,
India; 10 x 10 cm. C. Chopsticks and case, chopsticks made of palmyra palm
(Borassus flabellifer) stem wood, case raw material undetermined, Thailand;
chopsticks 23 cm long. D. Turned bowl made of coconut palm (Cocos
nucifera) stem wood, Philippines; 7.5 cm in diameter. E. Palm leaf writing
(Buddhist bible), made of talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera) leaflets,
Thailand; 51 cm long, 4.5 cm wide.
Tropical Palms 37
Large-scale Industrial Processing. This category is distinguished from the preceding in

terms of the greater physical size of the processing facility, a higher level of sophistication in
the processing itself through more complicated mechanical devices and certain highly skilled
workers to operate and maintain equipment. Examples which can be cited are African palm
oil factories, the processing of export quality sago starch and integrated processing of fresh
coconuts.
A number of palm products are associated with more than one of these four categories,
depending upon local traditions and economic conditions. Salak fruits (Salacca spp.) are sold
as fresh fruit (category 1) and preserved in tins or jars (category 3); rattan furniture making
can be done on a small scale in the home (category 2) or in a small industrial facility
(category 3); palm oil extraction can take place in the home (category 2) as well as in small-
or large-scale factories (categories 3 and 4).
At this juncture, it is worthwhile to return to the major classes of palm products developed by
Balick and Beck (1990) and discussed in Chapter 2. The authors presented a list of 388 palm
products, which they broke down into 12 major classes. Selecting the leading palm products
from the longer list permitted a reduction of the number to 97 principal products. Adhering to
the organization into 12 major classes, they are presented in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1 lists palm products which are not far removed industrially from the original raw
material and are most likely to be encountered in natural resource management and
development activities. A linkage exists between the product and the palm. Many
manufactured products are omitted which have in their makeup some palm raw material, but
the raw material has ceased to be recognizably from a palm. Palm oils, for example, are
ingredients in the manufacture of hundreds of food and industrial products. To include such a
wide spectrum of products in the current discussion would diverge from the intended focus on
palms themselves as providers of useful commodity, in the original sense of the latter term.
38 Tropical Palms
Table 3-1 Principal Palm Products
Beverages Feeds Clothing Jewelry

arrak (distilled spirit) fodder clothes beads
milk substitute forage hats miniature carvings
palm wine (toddy) press cake bracelets, rings and
Furniture
soft drink flavorings ear rings
Fertilizer hammock
sweet sap
biofertilizer lamp shades Medicines/Rituals
Building Materials mats dragon’s blood
fiber Food rattan wickerware folk medicines
parquet flooring antioxidant (açaí, masticatory
rattan etc) Games/Toys religious
thatch candy balls (rattan) symbols/totems
timber edible oil chess pieces
weaving material fruit palm leaflet balls Ornamental Use
wood ice cream/sherbet cut foliage
inflorescence Household Items houseplants
Chemicals/Industrial (pacaya) bags ornamental tree
Products kernels baskets seeds
activated charcoal palm hearts brooms shade tree
dye/resin preserves brushes
fiber (coir) starch/sago cigarette papers Structure/Shelter
industrial oils sugar/jaggery coat hangers bridges
paper pulp syrup cups canoes
particle board vinegar fans coffins
polishes ladles fences
textile finishes Fuel purses floors
upholstery stuffing charcoal twine nursery shade
vegetable ivory fuel oil walking sticks pilings
wax fuelwood posts
Weapons/Hunting rafters
Cosmetics/Hygiene Handicrafts Tools roofs
hairdressing Agricultural bows utility poles
soap Implements spears walls
nets
ropes
Source: after Balick & Beck, 1990, with modifications.
Palm Product Matrix

A matrix of principal palm products is presented in Table 3-2. The contents of Table 3-1
were evaluated in terms of the general product categories and the processing categories to
construct the matrix. Products were entered into the matrix in the same order as they appear
in Table 3-1. Roman numerals across the top and letters along the left side permit shorthand
reference to the products. The decision as to where within the matrix to place each product
was made by taking into account the most common type of processing currently in practice; in
a number of cases a product is placed in more than one box. For example, fiber is included in
I-A, I-B, III-A and III-B, depending upon its source and end use; palm timber is placed in III-
C and III-D since it is typically a salvage product requiring a small or large mill; edible oil
appears in I-B, I-C, and I-D because it can be processed by various means depending upon the
end use.
Tropical Palms 39
This matrix is provided with the hope it can serve to highlight the respective products in a
way which conveys the relationship between product and processing levels.
Recent Related Development Trends
Beginning in the 1980s three new international development approaches arose which have
fortuitously directed more attention to palm products. The three subjects are: agroforestry,
non-wood (or non-timber) forest products and integrated product development. Because the
future development of palm products needs to be linked to such broader issues, a brief
discussion of each is appropriate.
Agroforestry
The emergence of agroforestry as a new international development approach is to help small
farmers. It involves working to improve the overall productivity of mixed production systems
which include various combinations of annual crops, perennial crops and livestock. Palms are
common tree species in mixed small farming systems and agroforestry tends to favor such
multipurpose trees; agroforestry’s multidisciplinary approach has also been effective in
emphasizing the broadest possible product use of palms (as with all plants and animals within
the particular systems) for subsistence and commercial end uses.
Palms and their potential within agroforestry have been the focus of a number of research
studies. Among them, Johnson (1983) did a general assessment of 52 multipurpose palms
suitable for agroforestry systems; Liyanage (1983) studied the agroforestry role of the coconut
palm in Sri Lanka; May et al. (1985) examined the babaçu palm’s (Attalea speciosa) potential
in Brazil; Clement (1989) produced a study of the pejibaye palm (Bactris gasipaes var.
gasipaes) in agroforestry systems; and Flach and Schuiling (1989) reviewed the cultivation of
the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) as an agroforestry tree.
40 Tropical Palms
Table 3-2 Matrix of Principal Palm Products

General I. Primary Products II. Secondary III. Salvage Products
Categories Products/
By-Products
Processing
Categories
A. Immediate palm wine, sweet sap; fiber; thatch; fodder; forage; press fiber, thatch; fuelwood;
Use fruit; kernels; bridges; nursery cake; biofertilizer; house plants; shade trees;
shade; pilings; posts; rafters; roots; fuelwood; fences bridges; fences; pilings;
utility poles posts; rafters; roofs;
utility poles
B. Cottage-level milk substitute; folk medicines; sugar/jaggery; fiber; weaving material;
Processing fiber; rattan; weaving material; syrup; charcoal wood; floors; walls
wood; upholstery stuffing; edible
oil; fruit; kernels/copra; nets; ropes;
hats; hammocks; lamp shades; mats
and rugs; rattan balls; chess pieces;
bags; baskets; brooms; cups; fans;
ladles; purses; twine; walking sticks;
beads; miniature carvings; bows;
spears; masticatory; cut foliage;
religious symbols; seeds
(ornamental); floors; walls
C. Small-scale Soft drink flavor; antioxidants (açaí, arrack (spirits) ; parquet flooding; timber;
Industrial etc.); industrial oils; upholstery parquet flooring; palm hearts
stuffing; vegetable ivory; wax; activated charcoal;
Processing hairdressings; soap; edible oil; sugar/jaggery;
edible inflorescence (pacaya); palm syrup; charcoal;
hearts; preserves; starch/sago; fiber (coir); candy;
sugar/jaggery; syrup; hammocks; ice cream/sherbet;
lamp shades; rattan wickerware; vinegar
brushes; cigarette papers; coat
hangers; bracelets; finger rings/ear
rings
D. Large-scale dye/resin; industrial oils; paper pulp; fiber (coir) parquet flooring; timber
Industrial particle board; polishes; textile
finishes; wax; soap; edible oil;
Processing starch/sago; fuel oil
Tropical Palms 41
Figure 3-3 Artisanal Palm Products III. A. Rattan palm (likely Calamus sp.) shoulder
bag, Sarawak, Malaysia; 36 cm high, 21 cm in diameter. B. Rattan palm
(likely Calamus sp.) ball, Peninsular Malaysia; 12 cm in diameter. C. Coco
bunny, made of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) husk, Guyana; 17 cm long.
D. Ashtray, made of Bactris sp. stem wood, Ecuador; 12 cm in diameter. E.
Spear made of Bactris sp. stem wood, Peru; 102 cm long. F. Rattan palm
(likely Calamus sp.) coat hanger, country of origin unknown; 41 cm wide, 23
cm high.
Non-Wood Forest Products

Non-wood forest products as an international development issue derives from attempts to
transform traditional high grading of tropical timber into sustainable forest management.
Sustainable forest management is only feasible if wood and non-wood products are given full
consideration and local needs are acknowledged to be as important as timber or lumber
42 Tropical Palms
exports. Although the designation "non-wood" appears to exclude them, palm wood, rattans,
and bamboo are typically included among non-wood forest products because they are not
considered by foresters to be either traditional wood or timber.
Pantropically, non-wood forest products are of local importance as food and raw material
sources. An excellent overview of the subject can be found in Nepstad and Schwartzman
(1992). Palms represent one of the most important plant families of non-wood forest
products. Two examples of studies containing good information on palms as forest products
are by Beer and McDermott (1989), who point out the importance of rattans and edible palm
products in Southeast Asia; and Falconer and Koppell (1990) who document the significance
of palms among the forests products in West Africa.
Integrated Product Development
Integrated product development, as used here, refers to an industrial approach which views
primary products, by-products (including waste products) together in seeking ways to achieve
greater overall productivity and profit.
As demonstrated in this chapter, individual palm parts are sources of one or more raw
materials which can be used in various ways for commercial purposes; therefore, an
integrated approach to product development and processing should follow a whole fruit
processing approach and include the valorization of by-products to the greatest extent
possible. To a major degree, attention has been drawn to integrated product development for
practical reasons, with the agroindustries associated with the major domesticated palms taking
the lead.
Processing the whole fruit of any of the cocoid palms, the oil palms5, is an excellent case in
point because oil extraction has the potential of generating several useful end products.
Depending upon the individual species of oil palm, products include: edible oil, edible starch,
mesocarp pulp, edible kernels, industrial oil, dry distillation of husks to obtain acetates, press
cake for livestock and shells for conversion to activated charcoal or directly for fuel.
A model of potential applicability to certain of the other oil palms is represented by modern
coconut processing technology. This technology takes a whole fruit approach and adopts a
wet processing procedure for coconut endosperm which eliminates the traditional
intermediary step of making copra prior to producing coconut oil (Hagenmaier, 1980).
In Malaysia, the African oil palm industry is going a step farther and considering the entire
palm. In the late 1990s, as Malaysia began replanting extensive areas oil palm, the industry
has had to deal with huge quantities of dead oil palm stems and fronds resulting each year
from replacement of ageing palms. Studies have been done on their conversion into lumber,
fuel, pulp and paper, reconstituted board and animal feed (Khoo et al., 1991; Shaari et al.,
1991). Technologies developed to solve this problem of the African oil palm will have
implications throughout the palm family.
5
Cocoid palms are those which, according to Dransfield et al. (2008), belong to the Cocoseae tribe within the
Arecoideae subfamily. All of the key oil-bearing palms are included, among them the coconut (Cocos
nucifera), African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes) and babaçu (Attalea
speciosa).
Tropical Palms 43
Major date growing countries are also considering date palm cultivation in a broader product
context. The book by Barreveld (1993) on the date palm devotes an entire chapter to
traditional palm products other than date fruits.
To conclude this discussion of recent development trends relative to palm products, it can be
restated that numerous palm tree species already provide, or have the potential to provide,
more than one subsistence or commercial product; such trees are appropriately referred to as
multipurpose palms. Within the framework of natural resource management, sustainable
forest management or regional development efforts, it is imperative that the full spectrum of
useful palm products from any one palm tree species be taken into account. In that way
commercially-valuable and subsistence products can be generated for industrial enterprises
and for the benefit of local peoples.
44 Tropical Palms
Tropical Palms 45
4 ASIAN REGION
The Asian region is an immense area containing the greatest palm species diversity in the
world along with the oldest and most assorted types of palm utilization. For the purpose of
this chapter, Asia is defined geographically as stretching from Pakistan on the west to
Indonesia on the east and north to include China.
Across the region, the level of knowledge about palm systematics and documented examples
of particular palm products ranges from excellent to fragmentary. Malaysia represents a
country in the former category, Vietnam one of the latter. A World Wide Fund for Nature
Asian palm project which focused on India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
summarized old and generated much new information on conservation and utilization
(Johnson, 1991b). Additional investigations are needed to include more countries.
Chapter 4 has been broken down into three separate but interrelated parts to simplify dealing
with such a large number of palms. The first part is concerned with the palms of South Asia,
i.e. India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka; and to a minor degree with Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and
Sikkim. Part two covers Southeast Asian palms and includes the countries from Myanmar
eastward to Indonesia and the Philippines, and southern China. These two regional treatments
exclude rattans which are dealt with as a group in a separate third section of this chapter.
The approach in this and the following regional chapters links together utilization and
conservation because without such a linkage sustainable resource use can never be achieved.
The conservation status of a utilized wild palm is a vital piece of information in any
consideration of continued or expanded exploitation. For convenience, palm species are
considered to be in one of three conservation categories: threatened, non-threatened or
unknown. Except for rattans in this chapter, utilized palms with an unknown conservation
status are not discussed because they lack as well reliable information on utilization.
South Asia
The utilized native palms of this region, excluding rattans, were divided into two groups
based on their conservation status.
Threatened South Asian Palms
Thirteen species of native South Asian palms were found to be both under threat in the wild
and utilized by local people; there are undoubtedly many more. Information on these palms is
presented in Table 4-1. The strong relationship between sensitive island habitats and
threatened palms is in evidence in Table 4-1 where half the species included occur on islands.
One island endemic is also monotypic (i.e. a genus with a single species): Loxococcus
rupicola in Sri Lanka.
46 Tropical Palms
Discussion
Perusal of the palm products in Table 4-1 shows that leaves, petioles and stems are exploited
for a variety of end-uses; and fruits, sap and starch provide edible products. All these existing
patterns of utilization are for subsistence purposes alone.
Tropical Palms 47
Table 4-1 Threatened South Asian Palms with Reported uses (excluding rattans)*
Scientific Names Selected Local Names 1 Distribution 2 Products/Uses
Areca concinna lenteri Sri Lanka (endemic) nuts as betel substitute
Arenga wightii dhiudasal. alam panel India: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu peduncle tapped for sap; stem starch
(endemic to India)
Bentinckia nicobarica Nicobar bentinckia palm India: Great Nicobar Island (endemic) leaves for thatching and stems as hut pillars
Corypha umbraculifera condapana; tala India: Kerala; Sri Lanka leaves used as umbrellas; edible starch from stem;
seeds to make beads; formerly, leaf blades as writing
material
Hyphaene dichotoma oka mundel (Indian doum palm) India: Gujarat. Maharashtra (endemic to fibrous fruit mesocarp (see Table 9-20 for
India) composition) & unripe kernel eaten; leaves for
thatching: stem wood for posts, roof beams & fuel
Licuala peltata selai pathi, mota pathi Bangladesh; India: Andaman Islands, leaves for thatching & as rain hats. split leaf blades
Northeast; Sikkim woven into baskets, mats, etc.; stems as pillars
Livistona jenkinsiana toko pat, takau-araung India: Northeast; Sikkim fresh nuts used as masticatory; leaves for thatching &
rain hats, stems for hut construction
Loxococcus rupicola (monotypic) dotalu Sri Lanka (endemic) edible palm heart
Oncosperma fasciculatum katu-kitul Sri Lanka (endemic) stem wood for construction ?
48 Tropical Palms
Scientific Names Selected Local Names 1 Distribution 2 Products/Uses
Phoenix rupicola cliff date palm ? India: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya; starch extracted from stem as famine food
Sikkim
1. Pinanga dicksonii; 1. India: Kerala, Tamil Nadu (endemic 1 & 2. stems used for fencing & posts; leaves for
2. P.maniii to India); 2. India: Andaman & thatching; nuts used as betel substitute
Nicobar Islands (endemic)
Wallichia disticha tashe Bangladesh; Bhutan; India: Arunachal edible stem starch
Pradesh, West Bengal;, Sikkim
Notes:
* See also Table under Chapter 13.
1. Other local names are given in some of the sources below.

2. Distribution is within the South Asian region as defined; some species also occur elsewhere.
Sources: Basu. 1991; Basu & Chakraverty, 1994; Blatter, 1926; De Zoysa, 1996; Henderson, 2009; Jolla & Joseph, 1962; Mahabale, 1982; Malik. 1984; Manithottam, 2004; Mathew & Abraham
1994; Renuka, 1999; Sree Kumar & Coomar, 1999
Tropical Palms 49
From a utilization standpoint, it should be possible to reduce the exploitation of these

threatened palms inasmuch as there are inexpensive alternative sources of the palm products,
either from other palm species or other plants.
A combination of utilization and habitat destruction appears to have led to the extinction in
the wild of the tara palm (Corypha taliera) endemic to West Bengal, India. Leaves were
formerly used for tying rafters of houses and leaf blades employed as writing material.
Although no longer found in its natural habitat, the tara palm is under cultivation in botanic
gardens, affording an opportunity for a reintroduction effort.
On a more positive note, recognition in Thailand of the overexploitation of the naturalized

talipot palm (Corphya umbraculifera) has led to its inclusion in a list of the protected non-
wood forest products. Under forest regulations, small amounts of protected NWFPs can be
harvested for subsistence needs, but any commercial exploitation requires a permit
(Subansenee, 1995).
Non-threatened South Asian Palms
About the same number of economic palms are not under threat in South Asia. Nypa fruticans
is included as one of the dozen species in Table 4-2 despite the fact that it is threatened in Sri
Lanka and should be given protection there. Sri Lanka represents the western limit of the
palm’s natural range, where it occurs only in a small estuarine area of the island.
Discussion
The small number of species in Table 4-2 should not be construed as an indication that palms
are of minor significance in the region. To the contrary, palms are quite important and provide
a great range of different products for subsistence and commercial purposes.
Arenga pinnata, Borassus flabellifer and Phoenix sylvestris are all multipurpose species that
individually approach the coconut palm in terms of overall utility. One product common to
the three palms is sap which is consumed in the form of soft or fermented and distilled
alcoholic beverages, made into vinegar or boiled down (when fresh) to yield palm sugar
which is comparable chemically to cane, beet or maple sugar. Over many centuries, tapping
techniques have been developed which enhance sap flow while minimizing the negative
impact on the individual tree. The monotypic Nypa fruticans is also a source of sweet sap but
it is not as important in South Asia as it is Southeast Asia.
With the exception of Areca triandra, all the palms in Table 4-2 are exploited for leaf
products of one kind or another. Cottage industries producing hats, bags, mats and other
products woven from pliable young palm leaves are common in South Asia and the products
are of the highest quality.
The importance of non-wood forest products is officially recognized in Bangladesh where

Nypa fruticans and Phoenix paludosa harvest requires permits from the Forest Department
(Basit, 1995).
50 Tropical Palms
Two recent studies of Phoenix sylvestris in Bangladesh looked at sustainable approaches to

sap production, which is an important seasonal subsistence to yield a sweet sap beverage or
reduced by boiling to syrup; cottage industry fermented and distilled alcoholic beverages also
are made (Chowdhury et al., 2008; Halim et al., 2008).
Stem starch derived from Caryota urens in India represents a food source among some tribal
peoples (Anila Kumai and Rajyalakshmi, 2000; Manithottam, 2004). This product is quite
similar to the starch from sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) in Southeast Asia.
It is obvious that many if not most of these non-threatened palms could be brought under
better management and the production of palm products increased on a sustainable basis.
Research along these lines is being carried out in South India at the Kerala Forest Research
Institute where a project focused on the palm resources of Kerala, their conservation and
utilization is ongoing and has produced several excellent publications.
Tropical Palms 51
Table 4-2 Non-threatened South Asian Palms with Reported Uses (excluding rattans)
Scientific Names Selected Local Distribution2 Products/Uses

Names1
Areca triandra bon gua India: Andaman Islands, nuts used as betel substitute
Northeast
Arenga pinnata gomuti (sugar Bangladesh; India: Andaman multipurpose palm; sap for sugar & other products; edible immature seed (fresh mesocarp of
palm) Islands, Eastern; Sri Lanka ripe fruit is filled with irritant needle crystals); edible starch from stem; edible palm heart; leaf
base fiber for fish nets, etc., leaflets for weaving baskets, etc., stem wood for various uses
Borassus flabellifer tal, palmyra Bangladesh; India; Sri multipurpose palm: sap for toddy & sugar; edible mesocarp pulp; edible unripe endosperm,
Lanka edible palm heart; leaves for thatching; leaflets for weaving, stem wood for construction &
fuel, see Table 9-5 and Table 9-6 for composition of sap & sugar
Caryota mitis; 2. bherli mad, India: Andaman Islands: 1. edible starch from stem; leaves for thatching, weaving & decoration, ripe fruits contain
kittul irritant poison,
C. urens Bangladesh; India; Nepal; Sri 2. leaf-sheath fiber to make rope, etc.; edible starch from stem; sap for toddy & sugar. edible
Lanka palm heart; seeds as masticatory & to make beads
Licuala spinosa jungli selai India: Andaman Islands leaves for thatching & clothing
Livistona jenkinsiana ? Bangladesh; India; Sikkim; leaves for thatch & hats; edible palm heart
Nypa fruticans golpata Bangladesh; India: Andaman leaves for thatching, sap from inflorescence for beverage or sugar; mature seeds suitable for
(monotypic) Islands, Orissa, West Bengal; vegetable ivory
Sri Lanka
52 Tropical Palms

Names1
Phoenix acaulis; 1. khajur; 1. India: Meghalaya, Uttar 1. edible fruit, heart & stem starch; leaf fiber for ropes, leaves for thatching;
Pradesh; Nepal; Sikkim; 2. leaves woven into mats & to make brooms; edible fruit; starch from stem; medicinal use of
P .loureiri; 2. khajoor; 2. India: Kerala, Uttar palm heart;
Pradesh; Nepal; Pakistan;
P. paludosa; 3. hantal; 3. Bangladesh; India: 3. stem wood for construction, leaves for thatching & to make brooms, leaf fiber to make rope,
Andaman Islands, Bengal, edible fruit?;
P. pusilla; 4. indi; Orissa; Bangladesh; 4. edible fruit, leaves woven into mats and baskets; split petiole to make baskets; edible starch
4. India:Tamil Nadu; Sri from stem;
P. sylvestris 5. thakil (sugar
Lanka;
date palm) 5. multipurpose palm: sap from stem as beverage & to make sugar, edible fruit: leaves made
5. India (common); Nepal
into brooms or woven into baskets & mats; stem wood for fuel
Notes:
1. Other local names are given in some of the sources cited.
2. Distribution is within the South Asian region as defined; some species also occur elsewhere.
Sources: References for Table 4-1 and in addition: Anila Kumai, & Rajyalakshmi, 2000; Basit, 1995; Chowdhury et al., 2008; Davis, 1972, 1988; Davis & Johnson, 1987; Davis & Joel, 1989;
De Zoysa, 1992; Dissanayake, 1986; Dowe, 2009; Francis, 1984; Ghosh & Ghose, 1995; Halim, et al., 2008; Kovoor, 1983; Miller, 1964; Padmanablian & Sudhersan, 1988; Pongsattayapipat &
Barfod, 2005; Renuka, 1999; Seneviratne et al., 2007
Tropical Palms 53
If information were available on its conservation status, the useful mazari palm (Nannorrhops
ritchiana), a monotypic palm, would probably be included in Table 4-2. This monotypic
palm is native to arid portions of northwestern India, Pakistan and westward to the Arabian
Peninsula, and has a variety of uses. For example: leaves are woven into mats and baskets,
made into fans and brushes, and have medicinal use; stems, leaves and petioles serve as fuel;
young leaves and inflorescences, as well as the heart and fruit are eaten; and seeds are made
into beads. Gibbons and Spanner (1995) described this palm and its utilization in Pakistan.
Southeast Asia
Native palms currently reported to be exploited in Southeast Asia also have been broken
down into threatened and non-threatened species lists. Considerable knowledge gaps exist
about palms in this very diverse area, especially in Myanmar, Thailand, the countries of the
former Indochina and the Indonesian province of Papua on the island of New Guinea.
Threatened Southeast Asian Palms
A total of 22 palm species, belonging to 13 genera, are listed in Table 4-3. More than one-half
of these species are endemic palms and most countries in the region are represented. They are,
therefore, fairly representative of the situation.
Three genera are among the largest non-rattan palm genera in Asia: Licuala about 134;
Pinanga has around 131 and Areca approximately 47 species. Each genus has numerous
species for which conservation data are lacking and there is justifiable concern that when data
are available the results will be alarming and show that most are also threatened. The reason
for this concern is that the habitat of all three genera is the undergrowth of tropical forests,
and Southeast Asian forests are under intense pressure from logging, shifting cultivation and
conversion to permanent agriculture or grazing, resulting in deforestation and degradation on
a massive scale.
Another aspect of the genera in Table 4-3 is that several species of Areca, Arenga, Caryota,
Eugeissona, Licuala, Livistona, Phoenix and Pinanga also appear in Table 4-4 among the
listing of non-threatened palms. Inasmuch as palm genera have distinctive individual habitat
requirements, the linkage between threatened and non-threatened congeneric species needs to
be kept in mind in promoting palm products. In other words, it is not sufficient to know that
an individual species is not threatened; taking into account other species (which often yield
similar products) is the safest approach to follow.
Discussion
Food and non-food products are about equally represented in Table 4-3 and appear to be
solely for subsistence purposes. Some palm utilizations are relatively benign, such as
collecting the fruits of Pinanga spp. and other Areca spp. as a substitute for the cultivated
betel nut (Areca catechu). Leaf harvest for thatching and other end uses may or may not be of
concern, depending upon the intensity of the practices.
54 Tropical Palms
Table 4-3 Threatened Southeast Asian Palms with Reported Uses (excluding rattans)*
Scientific Names Selected Local Distribution2 Product/Uses

Names1
1. Areca hutchinsoniana; 1. bunga; 1. Philippines: Mindanao, nuts as occasional betel substitute; edible palm
2. A. ipot; 2. bungang-ipot; 2. Luzon, heart
3. A. macrocarpa; 3. bungang-lakihan; 3. Zamboanga,
4. A. .parens 4. Luzon (each species in endemic)
4. takobtob
Arenga hastata mudor Borneo; Malaysia: Peninsular leaf sheath as knife sheath
Borassodendron borneense bidang Borneo (endemic) edible palm heart & immature fuit endospcrm; stem
sawn into boards for house construction
1. Carvota no; 1. entibap mudol; 1. Borneo (endemic); 1. edible stem starch & palm heart leaf-sheath fiber
2. C. rumphiana 2. Indonesia; Moluccas, Papua; for tinder & to make fishing line, etc.;
2. takipan Philippines: Luzon; 2. edible palm heart
Eugeissona brachystachys tahan bertam Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic) edible stem starch; leaves for thatching; edible
immature endosperm; petioles to make darts etc.
Heterospathe elmeri Philippines: Camiguin (endemic) nuts as betel substitute; edible palm heart
Johannesteijsmannia 1. sal 1. Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: 1. leaves for thatching roots & walls; fruits in
altifrons; Peninsular, Sarawak; Thailand medicine,
2. seed collected for ornamental planting
J. lanceolata, J. magnifica, 2. Malaysia: Peninsular (all endemic)
J. perakensis
Tropical Palms 55
Scientific Names Selected Local Distribution2 Product/Uses

Names1
Licuala fatua; 1. cay trui; 1. Vietnam: Ila Nam Ninh, Tua Thien 1. stems to make tool handles;
2. biru balat (endemic); 2. leaves for wrapping, making hats, umbrellas &
L. orbicularis 2. Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic) thatching
Livistona robinsoniana Philippines: Polillo (endemic) leaves for thatching, stems as posts
Orania sylvicola iwul Indonesia: Java, Sumatra; Malaysia: stem wood for construction poisonous heart & fruit
Peninsular, Sarawak; Thailand (said to apply to all Orania species)
Phoenix loureiroi var. voyavoy Philippines: Batanes Islands leaves to make thatched raincoat; leaflets woven
loureiroi into mats
Pholidocarpus kingianus; 2. serdang Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic); 1 & 2. stems for pilings & timber; leaves for
thatching
P. macrocarpus Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Pinanga cochinchinensis; cao cuóc cluóc; 1. Vietnam (endemic); 1. fruit used as fish bait, leaves to make mats &
2. Cambodia; Laos; Vietnam; sails;
P. duperreana; sla condor 3. Indonesia: Moluccas, Papua 2. edible palm heart; nuts as betel substitute;
3. leaves to make mats & sails
P. punicea var. punicea
Notes:
2. Distribution is within the southeast Asian region as defined; some species also occur elsewhere.
Sources: Brown & Merrill. 1919; Burkill, 1966; Davis, 1988; Dransfield et al., 2008; Fernando, 1990; Gagnepain, 1937; Guzman & Fernando,1996; Henderson, 2009; Kiew 1991; Madulid,
1991a.b; Mogea, 1991; Pearce, 1991,1994; Whitmore, 1973.
56 Tropical Palms
The spectacular umbrella leaf palm (Johannesteijsmannia altifrons) is a case in point.

Sometimes referred to as nature’s answer to corrugated iron, the very large undivided leaves
are up to 3 m long and 1 m wide. Highly prized for thatching roofs and walls (which last 3-4
years) the leaves are cut and sold for this purpose in Peninsular Malaysia. As long as 2-3
leaves are left on each plant, the practice may be sustainable (Kiew, 1991). However, little is
known about the flowering and fruiting characteristics of palms in this genus; periodic leaf
harvest could, over time, adversely affect fruit production and lead to a decline in natural
regeneration. This biological factor is apart from habitat destruction; these palms require an
understory forest habitat. In addition, illegal seed collection and export of these highly-
desirable ornamental palms is having detrimental effects on the wild populations in Peninsular
Malaysia.
The most destructive exploitation of threatened palms occurs in extracting edible palm hearts
and edible stem starch for the trees are destroyed in the process. In some instances it appears
that palm heart extraction is associated with felling a tree for some other purposes such as to
obtain stem wood or starch; it is therefore sometimes a "salvage" product, to use the term
introduced in Chapter 3.
By and large, the products derived from palms in Table 4-3 are for subsistence needs and
alternative sources could and should be suggested where the current exploitation is having a
serious negative impact on wild palm populations.
Non-threatened Southeast Asian Palms
The full range of palm utilization in Southeast Asia is represented in Table 4-4 which lists 40
species in 18 genera. Geographic coverage is complete as every country in the region is
included, although with varying completeness. The table is a clear indication of the fact that
Southeast Asia has both the highest palm species diversity and the greatest variety of palm
utilization of anywhere in the world.
Arenga, Phoenix, Pinanga and Salacca species account for around one-half of the entries in
the table. The palm genera Eleiodoxa and Eugeissona occur only in Southeast Asia.
Discussion
Table 4-4 includes six major economic palm species, each one worthy of individual attention.
They are: Arenga pinnata, Borassus flabellifer, Corypha utan, Metroxylon sagu, Nypa
fruticans and Salacca zalacca. These and additional species are discussed further in Chapter 8
as candidates for greater management and/or outright domestication.
Arenga pinnata. The aren or sugar palm is a multipurpose solitary palm species which finds
its greatest utility in Southeast Asia. Miller (1964) provides an excellent summary of the
economic uses of the palm. Known chiefly as a source of sap derived from tapping the
inflorescence to make sugar and a provider of edible starch from the trunk, the sugar palm
grows in humid forest areas and under drier conditions. The fruit of the sugar palm fruit
merits special attention because although the immature endosperm is edible, the mesocarp
pulp of ripe fruits contains irritating needle crystals which make them inedible. Black coarse
leaf-base fiber is used for a variety of subsistence and commercial uses, such as rope and
Tropical Palms 57
fishnets, because of its durability and resistance to the action of sea water. Recently, the
physical properties of fiber have been studied for their use in reinforced epoxy composites,
with encouraging results (Sastra et al., 2005, 2006).
The growth habit of the sugar palm is notable with respect to its products. The palm is
hapazanthic, i.e. it flowers at about 10 years of age and dies. The harvestable quantities of sap
and starch represent the tree’s stored nutrients for the protracted flowering and fruiting which
extends over a period of about two years.
58 Tropical Palms
Table 4-4 Non-threatened Southeast Asian Palms with Reported Uses (excluding rattans)
Scientific Names Selected Local Distribution' Products/Uses

Names
Areca macrocalyx; 2. cau rung (Viet) 1. Indonesia: Papua; 1. (inferred) nut as betel substitute; edible heart; leaves for thatch:
2. Cambodia; Indonesia; Lao;
A. triandra Malaysia: Peninsular; Myanmar; 2. nut as betel substitute
Philippines; Thailand; Vietnam
Arenga microcarpa; 2. langkap (Pen Mal.) 1. Indonesia: Papua; 1. edible palm heart;
3. aren; 2.;Indonesia: Java, Sumatra; 2. edible palm heart & endosperm;
A. obtusifolia; 4. dumayaka (Phil); Malaysia: Peninsular; 3. multipurpose palm: sap for sugar & other products; edible
5. aping 3. widespread; immature seed (fresh mesocarp of ripe fruit is filled with irritant
A. pinnata; 4. Philippines: Luzon; needle crystals) edible stem starch, palm heart leaf-base fiber for fish
5. Borneo; Indonesia: Sulawesi; nets, in composition board etc.; leaflets for weaving baskets, etc.;
A. tremula; Philippines: Sulu stem wood for various uses
4. petiole split to make baskets;
A. undulatifolia
5. edible stem starch (Sarawak) & other products
Borassus flabellifer lontar widespread as native & cultivated multipurpose palm: sap for toddy & sugar; edible mesocarp pulp;
species edible unripe endosperm; edible palm heart; leaves for thatching;
leaflets for weaving, stem wood for construction & fuel
Tropical Palms 59

Names
Caryota mitis; 1. mudor (Sar); 1. Brunei; China: Hainan Island 1 & 2. edible palm heart & stem starch
(where it is threatened);
C. rumphiana 2. sagu moro (Irian) Indonesia: Java, Sulawesi; Malaysia:
Peninsular, Sarawak; Myanmar;
Thailand; Vietnam;
2. Indonesia: Moluccas, Papua
Corypha lecomtei; 1. la buong (Viet); 1. Thailand; Vietnam 1. leaves for thatching & weaving mats, sails and bags; petiole to
2. gebang, hurt make arrows & walking sticks; edible stem starch: fruits as fish
C. utan 2. Indonesia: Java, Kalimantan, poison,
Sulawesi, Sumatra; Malaysia: 2. stem starch as food & medicine; sap from inflorescence for wine
Peninsular, Sabah; Philippines & sugar; edible palm heart; edible fruit (see Table 9-14 for
nutritional composition); leaves for thatching & weaving mats,
baskets & fans
Eleiodoxa conferta kelubi Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, fruit used to make pickles & relishes; edible palm heart; leaves for
Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular, thatching & to make mats
Sabah, Sarawak; Singapore;
Thailand
Eugeissona tristis; 1. bertam; Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand; 1. leaves for thatching & to make fish traps; edible immature fruit;
2. nanga 2. stem starch; edible palm heart, purple flower pollen used as
E. utilis Borneo condiment; leaves for thatching, split petiole to make darts
60 Tropical Palms

Names
Hydriastele costata limbun Indonesia: Moluccas, Papua stems for floor and wall boards; inflorescence used as brush; leaf
sheath of crown shaft folded to make buckets & baskets and to wrap
food
Licuala peltata; 1 & 2. palas (Indon) 1. Myanmar; Thailand 1 & 2. leaves for thatching & to wrap food
2. Brunei; China; Indonesia: Java,
L. spinosa Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular,
Sabah, Sarawak; Philippines;
Thailand
Livistona rotundifolia serdang Borneo; Indonesia: Moluccas, leaves for thatching and to wrap food
Sulawesi; Philippines
Metroxylon sagu sagu Indonesia: Moluccas, Papua; stem starch; leaves for thatching, petioles & stem wood for
Philippines: Mindanao construction, etc.
Nypa fruticans nipah, atap widespread in coastal areas leaves for thatching & weaving; sap from inflorescence for beverage,
(monotypic) sugar or alcohol; immature seeds edible, mature seeds suitable for
vegetable ivory; leaflet epidermis to make cigarette wrapper; leaf
powder as corrosion inhibitor of zinc
Tropical Palms 61

Names
Oncosperma horridum; 1. bayas (Malay), 1. Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, 1 & 2. whole stems resistant to sea water, used in construction;
bayeh (Indon), Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular, stems split into strips to make fish traps, floor & wall coverings, etc.;
O. tigillarium 2. nibong (Malay) Sabah, Sarawak; Philippines; leaves to weave baskets; nuts as betel substitute; edible etc.; leaves to
Thailand weave baskets; nuts as betel substitute; edible palm heart
2. Brunei; Cambodia; Indonesia:
Java, Kalimantan. Sumatra;
Malaysia: Peninsular, Sabah,
Sarawak; Philippines; Vietnam
Phoenix acaulis; 2. bua cha la (Viet); 1. Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam; 1. edible fruit leaf fiber for ropes leaves for thatching;
3. cay cut chut (Viet) 2. China; Thailand; 2. edible fruit; other uses likely;
P. loureirii; 3. Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: 3. edible fruit and palm heart; leaves for temporary fencing;
Peninsular; Thailand; Vietnam; 4. (inferred) multipurpose palm sap from stem as beverage & to
P. paludosa; 4. Myanmar make sugar: edible fruit; leaves made into brooms or woven into
baskets & mats; stem wood for fuel
P. sylvestris
Pigafetta filaris wanga Indonesia: Moluccas, Papua, whole stems used in construction, split or sawn into flooring &
Sulawesi hollowed for water pipe, to make furniture
Pinanga, caesia; Pinarig, in general 1. Indonesia: Sulawesi (endemic); (in general) leaves for thatching; stems as laths, nuts sometimes
2. Indonesia: Java, Sumatra; chewed as betel substitut
P. coronata; 3. Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak;
4. Brunei; Malaysia: Sarawak;
P. crassipes; 5. Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand;
6. Brunei; Indonesia: Sumatra
P. mooreana; Malaysia: Peninsular, Sarawak
P. scortechinii;
P. simplicifrons
62 Tropical Palms

Names
Salacca affinis; 1. salak, ridan (Sar); 1. Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, 1. edible fruit & palm heart; flexible end of rachis as fishing rod;
2. salak; Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular. 2. edible fruit;
S. glabrescens; 3. kepla; Sabah, Sarawak; 3. edible fruit and palm heart;
2. Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand; 4. fruit used in curry; petioles for fishing rods;
S. vermicularis; 5. salak 3. Borneo; 5. edible fruit (see Table 9-25 for nutritional composition) leaves for
4. Cambodia; China; Lao; fencing & decoration
S. wallichiuna; Malaysia: Peninsular; Myanmar;
Thailand; Vietnam ;
S. zalacca
5. Indonesia: Java, Sumatra
Trachycarpus fortunei chusan China (endemic) leaf-base fiber to make rope, mats, brushes; leaves for thatching & to
weave fans, hats, chairs; fruit wax to make polishes, etc., seed source
of hemostatic drug; roots, leaves & flowers contain medicinal
compounds; stems as house pillars, edible flowers; seeds as animal
fodder
Notes:
2. Distribution is within the Southeast Asian region as defined; some species also occur elsewhere.
Sources: References for Table 4-3 and in addition: Ashari, 2002; Barrow, 1998; Davis, 1988; Davis & Kuswara, 1987; Davis et al., 1990, Dransfield, 1977; Dransfield & Johnson, 1991; Ellen,
R., 2004; Essig, 1982; Essig & Dong, 1987; Fong, 1989,1991: Fox, 1977; Hay, 1984; House, 1983; Kovoor, 1983; Lubeigt, 1977; Miller, 1964; Mogea et al., 1991, O'Brien & Kinnaird, 1996,
Orubite-Okorosaye & Oforka, 2004; Rotinsulu, 2001; Ruddle el al., 1978; Sastra et al., 2006; Sastrapradja et al., 1978; Schuiling, 2009; Yaacob & Subhadrabandhu, 1995.
Tropical Palms 63
Borassus flabellifer. The lontar palm is a multipurpose species, also a solitary palm, in
Southeast Asia just as it is in South Asia. However, its uses do not quite reach the diversity
found in South Asia. This is documented by Fox (1977) who studied two different culture
groups which make considerable use of the palm on the Indonesian islands of Roti and
Madura. As a sugar source, lontar has been studied in great detail by Lubeigt (1979) in central
Myanmar. The lontar is a palm of dry environments and is tolerant of poor soils. Its major
drawback as an economic palm is that it is a single-stemmed species.
Corypha utan. This palm has a very wide distribution in Asia, most often in drier more open
areas. It typically is found in association with settlements, suggesting that humans may have
contributed to its current geographic range. A large single-stemmed tree, the gebang palm
shares with the sugar palm a terminal-flowering habit and also its main economic products of
sweet sap and stem starch. The gebang has very large fan-shaped leaves with numerous uses.
Metroxylon sagu. The sago palm is most notable in the region as a subsistence source of stem
starch in areas of its occurrence in Indonesia and the Philippines. A tropical peat swamp palm,
sago occupies a largely undesirable habitat as far as competing land use is concerned.
Centuries ago, sago was introduced from farther east to Borneo and Malaya, apparently by
migrating peoples. Today it can be found in a semi-wild or cultivated state where suitable
habitat exists. Anyone seeing the extensive sago areas in Sarawak, and the dependence of
local people on it for starch and various other projects, would find it difficult to believe that
the palm is not native. This hapazanthic suckering palm is discussed in more detail in Chapter
5.
Nypa fruticans. Nipa is solely a mangrove palm and its distribution is centered in Southeast
Asia. Although sago and nipa occupy somewhat similar habitats, the former grows in fresh
water swamps, the latter brackish water environments along the coast. Major economic
products are sap for sugar or alcohol and leaves for thatching. Panels of nipa thatch (atap) are
in common use wherever the palm occurs. Hamilton and Murphy (1988) studied the general
use and management of nipa over its broad range and Fong (1992) has done field studies on
nipa management in Peninsular Malaysia and tapping in Sarawak (Fong, 1989). Nypa apears
to have some industrial use as well, as evidenced by research showing that an extract from the
leaves inhibits zinc corrosion (Orubite-Okorosaye and Ofokra, 2004).
Salacca zalacca. The salak palm is a forest undergrowth species primarily important for its
edible fruit, which is obtained from wild and cultivated plants. As indicated in Table 4-4,
several other species also have edible fruits, but fruit from S. zalacca is the largest and
sweetest. Salak fruit is very popular in Indonesia where it is consumed fresh and is canned for
domestic and export markets. According to Mogea (1991) 15 local trade names exist for salak
fruits based upon quality and fruit characteristics. In Thailand, clones of what is believed to be
S. wallichiana are under cultivation (Yaacob and Subhadrabandu, 1995). Ashari (2002)
provides excellent information on the agronomy and botany of salak. The preceding
references provide detailed information on cultivating salak which is recommended for home
gardens. A new study has shown that salak fruits have antioxidant properties, which could be
a boon to promoting the fruit (Aralas, et al., 2009).
As for the remaining palms in Table 4-4 the use pattern is similar to that of Table 4-3 in that
food and non-food items have about equal weight. Eugeissona utilis is what might be termed
a minor multipurpose palm as indicated by the variety of uses listed in Table 4-4. However,
64 Tropical Palms
they represent predominantly subsistence uses by indigenous peoples who sometimes (in
Sarawak) plant the palm near their houses.
In addition to being used for thatching and to weave a variety of products, certain fan palm
leaves provide cheap food-wrapping material. Licuala peltata, one form of which has
undivided leaves, and Livistona rotundifolia, with shallowly-divided leaves, are good
examples. Almost everywhere that palm leaves are cut from wild plants, for whatever end use,
there is a tendency to harvest an excessive number of leaves per plant, in large part to
minimize walking distances.
The effect of leaf harvest of Livistona rotundifolia was the subject of a study in North
Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study confirms assumptions about the adverse impact of over-
harvesting of leaves. Research results showed that leaves on harvested plants grew faster but
reached a smaller final leaf size than on unharvested plants. A census of harvested and
unharvested palm populations showed that palm density was twice as high and there were ten
times as many reproductive-sized palms in unharvested areas (O’Brien and Kinnaird, 1996).
Together the four members of the genus Phoenix in Table 4-4 occur widely in Southeast Asia
and are common sources of food and non-food subsistence items. These palms persist in
many areas because they are adapted to disturbed habitats, can grow on drier sites with poor
soils and produce basal suckers which are a major factor in their natural regeneration.
The wanga palm (Pigafetta filaris) is a somewhat unusual palm in that it is a pioneer species
which colonizes disturbed habitats where it is native in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Although its chief economic value is a source of stem wood for construction and to make
furniture (Rotinsulu, 2001) , P. filaris is also esteemed as an elegant ornamental palm. Davis
and Kuswara (1987) studied the biology of this palm in Indonesia.
Trachycarpus fortunei is well known as an ornamental palm grown in the middle latitudes
because of its cold tolerance. The palm also turns out to be a drug source in China as well as
the origin of several other products (Essig and Dong, 1987).
As more information becomes known about the use of palms in southern China (and the
former Indochina), other examples can be expected to be added to any future list of economic
palms.
Asian Rattans
Rattans are first and foremost important as commercial and subsistence sources of cane, the
rattan stem. The stem, after stripping off its leaf sheaths, provides the raw material for the
cane furniture industry. Depending on the species, the diameter of canes is from about 3 mm
to 60 mm or more. In the rattan industry, canes are graded on the basis of seven basic factors:
diameter, length of cane, color, hardness, defects and blemishes, length of nodes and
uniformity of thickness (UNIDO, 1983).
Another way to characterize rattans is based solely on their diameter: canes are referred to as
"large" if they have a diameter above 18 mm; "small" canes are those below that diameter.
Large canes are used whole to make the frames of cane furniture. Whole small canes are also
Tropical Palms 65
used as struts in some furniture, but more often they are split and used to weave the chair back
(Dransfield, 1988).
Three desirable properties characterize rattan canes. One, they are solid (unlike bamboo
which are typically hollow) and hence very strong. Two, by the application of heat, most
rattans can be bent into and will hold various shapes without deformation. Three, canes can be
lacquered to preserve their natural light color or can also be stained or painted.
In addition to its use in furniture making, split cane furnishes material for handicraft and
cottage industries to make baskets, mats, bags, hats, fish traps and a host of other products.
Rattans are also employed as cordage for tying and binding. The case study (Chapter 2) of the
Iban in Sarawak, Malaysia demonstrates how very useful rattans are to indigenous people.
The rattans of Asia belong to the following nine genera: Calamus, Ceratolobus,
Daemonorops, Korthalsia, Myrialepis, Plectocomia, Plectocomiopsis, Pogonotium and
Retispatha. Around 533 rattan species have been described, with Calamus and Daemonorops
representing about 90% of the total. These figures include useful and not used canes.
Nearly all rattan canes continue to come from wild plants. However, in the coming years
rattan cultivation, along with some form of rattan management, is playing an increasing role
in providing sources of raw canes and in turn relieving pressure on threatened wild
populations.
Rattan canes represent the palm family’s most valuable non-wood forest product. At the same
time rattans, as a group, are exceedingly difficult to generalize about because of incomplete
data on distribution patterns and conservation status as well as the confusion which exists
between local or trade names on the one hand and scientific names on the other.
Following the general approach used for South and Southeast Asia palms, rattans are divided
into two groups on the basis of whether they are known to be threatened or not threatened in
the wild. Utilization information on these rattans is incomplete, but it was deemed best in
include them when there was some doubt, with the assumption that some present or future
utility was likely. This approach seemed to be a better alternative than omitting many rattan
species altogether.
A rough count shows that three out of four rattans lack information about their conservation
status. Dozens of these species are known to have utility as cane sources. In order to include
and consider all such rattans, a third group was created consisting of rattans known to be
utilized but with an unknown conservation status.
Threatened Asian Rattans
As climbing palms, rattans need trees for support and hence deforestation leads to their
destruction. But most rattans can and do survive in areas of timber harvesting or partial land
clearing where some tree cover remains. Secondary forest supports rattan growth, but the
rattans do not reach their maximum length and diameter, as they do in primary forest.
66 Tropical Palms
Cutting wild rattans is a destructive exploitation comparable to felling palms for stem starch,
construction wood or palm heart. Exploitation of rattans for commercial and subsistence
purposes appears to be a major factor which has placed so many species at risk.
At least 127 rattan species are known to be threatened in the wild and these are presented in
Table 4-5 below.
Table 4-5 Threatened Asian Rattans*
Scientific Names Selected Local Distribution2

Names1
Calamus adspersus ? Indonesia: Java, Sumatra
Calamus mofabet India: Andaman Islands (endemic)

andamanicus*
Calamus asperrimus rotan leulues Indonesia: Java
Calamus bacularis* wi tulang Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus bicolor lasi, rasi Philippines: Mindanao
Calamus brandisii vanthai India: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu

(endemic)
Calamus ceratophorus ui sông Vietnam: Phu Khanh
Calamus ciliaris* hoe cacing Indonesia: Java, Sumatra
Calamus cockburnii ? Malaysia: Pahang, Peninsular

(endemic)
Calamus conjugatus wi janggut Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus corneri rotan perut ayam Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus crassifolius wi takong Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus douung-douung Philippines: Luzon

cumingianaus*
Tropical Palms 67

Names1
Calamus ottamoodan India: Southwest

delessertianus
Calamus delicatulus nara wel Sri Lanka (endemic)
Calamus densiflorus* rotan kerai Malaysia: Peninsular; Singapore;

Thailand
Calamus digitatus kukulu wel Sri Lanka (endemic)
Calamus dilaceratus ? India: Andaman Islands (endemic)
Calamus lambutan, tandulang- Philippines: Luzon

dimorphacanthus* montalban
Calamus dioicus rani Vietnam
Calamus discolor* halls, kumaboy Philippines: Luzon
Calamus dongnaiensis long-tchéou Thailand; Vietnam: south
Calamus dransfieldii ? India: Kerala
Calamus endauensis ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus filipendulus rotan batu Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus foxworthyi ? Philippines: Palawan
Calamus gamblei pacha chural India: Southwest
Calamus godefroyi phdau tuk Cambodia; Thailand; Vietnam
Calamus grandifolius* saba-ong Philippines: Luzon

68 Tropical Palms

Names1
Calamus guruba ? Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia;

China; India; Lao; Malaysia:
Peninsular; Myanmar; Thailand;
Vietnam;
Calamus harmandii ? Lao; possibly Thailand; Vietnam
Calamus henryamus than-moï Vietnam: Ha Bac, Lang Son
Calamus hepburnii ? Malaysia: Sabah (endemic)
Calamus holttumii rotan perut ayam Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus hookerianus velichural India: Southwest
Calamus ? Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

hypertrichosus Sarawak.
Calamus inops* rotan tohiti Indonesia: Sulawesi
Calamus jenningsianus lagipi Philippines: Mindoro
Calamus karuensis rotan penjalin rawa Indonesia: Sumatra
Calamus kjellbergii ? Indonesia: Sulawesi
Calamus rotan boga Indonesia: Sulawesi

koordersianus*
Calamus laevigatus rotan tunggal Malaysia: Sabah (endemic)

var. serpentinus*
Calamus laxissimus ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus longispathus* rotan kunyung Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)

Tropical Palms 69

Names1
Calamus manan# rotan manau Borneo; Malaysia: Peninsular;

Indonesia: Sumatra; Thailand
Calamus megaphyllus* banakbo Philippines: Leyte
Calamus melanoloma rotan gelengdage Indonesia: Java
Calamus dalimban Philippines: Mindanao

melanorhynchus*
Calamus merrillii# palasan Philippines: Luzon
Calamus metzianus ela wewel India: Southwest; Sri Lanka
Calamus minahassae* datu Indonesia: Sulawesi
Calamus minutus ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus mitis* matkong Philippines: Babuyan, Batanes
Calamus moorhousei ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus moseleyanus* sarani Philippines: Basilan, Malanipa
Calamus multinervis* balala Philippines: Mindanao
Calamus nagbettai nag betta India: Southwest
Calamus nicobaricus tchye India: Great Nicobar Island (endemic)
Calamus nielsenii ? Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus ovoideus# thudarena Sri Lanka (endemic)
Calamus kukulu wel Sri Lanka (endemic)

pachystemonus
70 Tropical Palms

Names1
Calamus padangensis ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus palustris rong Cambodia; India: Anadaman Islands;

Lao; Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand;
Vietnam
Calamus penicillatus rotan batu Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus poensis ? Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus poilanei u pôn Lao; Thailand; Vietnam: Lam Dong,

Phu Khanh
Calamus pycnocarpus rotan kong Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus radiatus kukulu wel Sri Lanka (endemic)
Calamus radulosus ? Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Calamus rhabdocladus r'sui China; Vietnam: Dong Nai, Lam

Dong, Phu Khanh; Lao
Calamus ridleyanus rotan kerai Malaysia: Peninsular; Singapore

(endemic to Malay Peninsula)
Calamus ? Indonesia: Moluccas

robinsonianus
Calamus rotang cheruchural India: Southern; Sri Lanka
Calamus scortechinii* rotan demuk Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus sedens* rotan dudok Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Calamus semoi* wi tut Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus senalingensis ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)

Tropical Palms 71

Names1
Calamus setulosus rotan kerai Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus simplex* rotan kerai gunung Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus spectabilis ombol Indonesia: Java, Sumatra
Calamus rotan semut Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

spectatissimus Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Calamus symphysipus* rotan umbol Indonesia: Sulawesi; Philippines:

Bucas Grande, Catanduanes
Calamus tanakadatei rotan tekok Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus thwaitesii pannichural India: Southwest; Sri Lanka
Calamus thysanolepis cây mai China; Vietnam: Thanh Hoa
Calamus trispermus* ? Philippines: Luzon
Calamus usitatus ? Philippines: Nueva Vizcaya; Pangasi
Calamus vattayila vattayila India: Southwest
Calamus vidalianus* yantok Philippines: Luzon
Calamus vinosus yaming Philippines: Mindanao
Calamus walkeri may dang China; Vietnam
Calamus warburgii* ? Papua New Guinea
Calamus whitmorei ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Calamus wightii soojibetha India: Tamil Nadu (endemic)

72 Tropical Palms

Names1
Calamus zeylanicus thambotu wel Sri Lanka (endemic)
Ceratolobus rotan beula Indonesia: Java

glaucescens
Ceratolobus kingianus rotan jere landak Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Ceratolobus rotan omas Indonesia: Java, Sumatra

pseudoconcolor
Daemonorops daun wi, rotan dudok Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak; Indonesia:

acamptostachys Kalimantan
Daemonorops affinis bag-bag Philippines: Mindanao
Daemonorops ? Philippines: Mindanao

clemensiana*
Daemonorops pitpit Philippines: Palawan

curranii*
Daemonorops rotan bacap Malaysia: Peninsular; Singapore;

leptopus* Thailand
Daemonorops ? Philippines: Luzon

loheriana
Daemonorops wi tibu Borneo

longispatha*
Daemonorops rotan cincin Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand

macrophylla
Daemonorops ka-api Philippines: Palawan

margaritae var.
palawanica
Daemonorops oblonga song mat Vietnam

Tropical Palms 73

Names1
Daemonorops ? Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)

oligophylla
Daemonorops pannosa sabilog Philippines: Leyte
Daemonorops sepal rotan getah gunung Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Daemonorops unijuga ? Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Daemonorops sahaan Philippines: Mindanao

urdanetana
Korthalsia junghuhnii rotan bulu Indonesia: Java
Korthalsia lanceolata rotan dahan Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Korthalsia merrillii ? Philippines: Palawan (endemic)
Korthalsia rogersii ? India: Andaman Islands (endemic)
Korthalsia tenuissima rotan daha tikus Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)
Plectocomia ? Indonesia: Belitung Island; Sumatra

billitonensis
Plectocomia rotan mantang ilang Malaysia: Peninsular (endemic)

dransfieldiana
Plectocomia elmeri binting dalaga Philippines: Mindanao, Mt. Apo
Plectocomia ? Indonesia: Java, east

longistigma
Plectocomia lorzingii ? Indonesia: Sibolangit, Sumatra
Plectocomia pygmaea ? Indonesia: Kalimantan, Pontianak, Sei

Poetat
74 Tropical Palms

Names1
Plectocomiopsis wrayi rotan pepe Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Pogonotium moorei ? Malaysia: Gunung Gaharu, Sarawak

(endemic)
Pogonotium ursinum rotan bulu Brunei; Malaysia: Peninsular,

Sarawak
Notes:
2. Distribution is within the Asian region as defined; some species
also occur elsewhere.
# Major commercial species, as defined by Dransfield & Manokaran, 1993.
* Minor commercial species, as defined by Dransfield & Manokaran, 1993.
General sources: Alam, 1990; Amatya, 1997; Avé, 1988; Basu, 1992; Boonsermsuk et al., 2007; De Zoysa & Vivekanandan,
1994; Dransfield, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1997; Dransfield & Manokaran, 1993; Evans et al., 2001; Gagnepain, 1937;
Guzman & Fernando, 1986; Henderson, 2009; Hodel, 1998; Johnson, 1991b; Khou, 2008; Kurz, 1874; Lakshmana, 1993;
Liao, 1994; Madulid, 1981; Mathew et al., 2007; Pearce, 1994; Peters et al., 2007; Rattan Information Centre Bulletin,
various issues; Renuka, 1992, 1995; Renuka & Bhat, 2002; Siebert, 1989.
Non-threatened Asian Rattans
On the basis of current knowledge, only 24 Asian rattans are not under threat from
exploitation and deforestation. Table 4-6 identifies these species. Why these rattans are not
threatened is unclear. The answer probably lies in some combination of factors such as their
greater natural populations, in some cases broader geographic ranges, adaptability to forest
disturbance and the clustering grown form which characterizes about three-fourths of the
species listed.
Tropical Palms 75
Table 4-6 Non-threatened Asian Rattans

Names1
Calamus burckianus* howe belukbuk Indonesia: Java
Calamus exilis# rotang gunung Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia:

Peninsular; Thailand
Calamus formosanus (Formosan cane) Taiwan
Calamus gregisectus ? Myanmar
Calamus heteroideus* howe cacing Indonesia: Java, Sumatra
Calamus javensis# rotan opot Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan,

Java, Sumatra; Malaysia:
Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak;
Philippines: Palawan; Singapore;
Thailand
Calamus pseudotenuis perumperambu India: Deccan Peninsula, Western

Ghats; Sri Lanka
Calamus reinwardtii rotan dedek Indonesia: Java (endemic)
Calamus trachycoleus# rotan itit Indonesia: Kalimantan
Daemonorops calicarpa* lumpit Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia:

Peninsular
Daemonorops crinita* ? Indonesia: Sumatra, Kalimantan

76 Tropical Palms

Names1
Daemonorops rotan tunggal Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan,

didymophylla* Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular,
Sabah; Sarawak; Singapore;
Thailand
Daemonorops fissa* rotan kotok Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan;

Malaysia: Sabah; Sarawak
Daemonorops grandis* rotan sendang Malaysia: Peninsular; Singapore;

Thailand
Daemonorops ? Indonesia: Sulawesi

macroptera
Daemonorops oblonga* rotan pitik Indonesia: Java
Daemonorops rubra* teretes Indonesia: Java
Korthalsia echinometra# uwi hurang Brunei; Cambodia; Indonesia:

Kalimantan, Sumatra; Lao;
Sarawak; Singapore
Korthalsia laciniosa# rotan dahan India: Andaman & Nicobar Islands;

Indonesia: Java, Sumatra; Lao;
Malaysia: Peninsular; Myanmar;
Philippines; Singapore; Thailand;
Vietnam
Korthalsia zippelii inuwai Indonesia: Papua

Tropical Palms 77

Names1
Myrialepis paradoxa* rotan kertong Cambodia; Indonesia: Sumatra;

Malaysia: Peninsular; Lao;
Myanmar; Singapore; Thailand;
Vietnam
Plectocomia elongata wi Brunei; Cambodia; Indonesia: Java,

var. elongata Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular,
Sabah, Sarawak; Thailand; Vietnam
Plectocomia mulleri rotan tibu Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan;

Sarawak
Plectocomiopsis ialis, rotan pa Brunei; Cambodia; Indonesia:

geminiflora* Kalimantan, Sumatra; Lao;
Sarawak; Myanmar; Thailand;
Vietnam
Notes: 1. Other local names are given in some of the sources cited.
2. Distribution is within the Asian region as defined; some species
also occur elsewhere.
# Major commercial species, as defined by Dransfield
& Manokaran, 1993.
* Minor commercial species, as defined by Dransfield
& Manokaran, 1993.
Sources: Same as Table 4-5.
Asian Rattans with Unknown Conservation Status

Dransfield and Manokaran (1993) documented utilization of 135 rattan species (30 major and
105 minor). Table 4-5 and Table 4-6 account for some but not all of that total. The remaining
species from that study, which lack information about their conservation status, are included
in Table 4-7, along with additional species from later published sources. That we know
nothing about the in situ status of the 105 rattans in Table 4-7 is alarming.
78 Tropical Palms
Table 4-7 Asian Rattans with Unknown Conservation Status and Reported Uses

Names1
Calamus wai tia Cambodia; Lao; Nepal; Thailand

acanthophyllus
Calamus Wai hom Bhutan; China: Yannan; India: Northeast;

acanthospathus Lao; Myanmar; Nepal; Tibet
Calamus albus* rotan putih Indonesia: Moluccas, Papua
Calamus amplijugus ? Brunei; Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak
Calamus aruensis* ? Indonesia: Moluccas
Calamus arugda* arugda Philippines: Cagayan, Luzon
Calamus axillaris* rotan sega air Brunei; Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia:

Peninsular, Sarawak; Thailand
Calamus bimaniferus wai noi Lao
Calamus blumei* rotan tukas Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

Malaysia: Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak;
Thailand
Calamus boniensis* tomani Indonesia: Sulawesi (endemic ?)
Calamus caesius# rotan sega Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra; Malaysia:

Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak; Philippines:
Palawan; Thailand
Calamus castaneus* rotan cucor Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular;

Thailand
Calamus conirostris* rotan dago Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

kancil Malaysia: Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak
Calamus nue waatang Malaysia: Sulawesi (endemic ?)

didymocarpus*
Tropical Palms 79

Names1
Calamus rotan batu Brunei; Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia:

diepenhorstii* Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak; Philippines:
Palawan; Singapore; Thailand
Calamus lambutan Philippines: Laguna, Mindoro

dimorphacanthus
var. halconensis*
Calamus egregius# duanye China: Hainan Island (endemic)

shengteng
Calamus elmerianus* sababai Philippines: Agusan, Davao, Dinagat, Tayabas
Calamus erinaceus phdao aeng Borneo; Cambodia; Indonesia: Sumatra;

Malaysia: Peninsular; Philippines; Singapore;
Thailand
Calamus wi buluh Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)

erioacanthus*
Calamus flabellatus* rotan lilin Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

Malaysia: Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak
Calamus floribundus chota bet Bangladesh; India: Northeast; Myanmar
Calamus gibbsianus* silau-silau Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak
Calamus gracilis mapuri bet Bangladesh; China: Yunnan; India: Northeast;

Lao; Myanmar
Calamus hispidulus* rotan bulu Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia: Sarawak
Calamus hollrungii* uawa jawa Indonesia: Papua
Calamus insignis* rotan batu Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular;

Singapore; Thailand
Calamus javensis uwai peladas Borneo; Brunei; Indonesia: Java, Sumatra;

Malaysia: Peninsular; Philippines: Palawan;
Thailand
80 Tropical Palms

Names1
Calamus laevigatus* rotan tunggal Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

var. laevigatus and Malaysia: Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak;
var. mucronatus Singapore; Thailand
Calamus leiocaulis* rotan jermasi Indonesia: Sulawesi (endemic ?)
Calamus leptospadix dhangre bet Bangladesh; Bhutan; India: Northeast;

Myanmar; Nepal
Calamus ronti Indonesia: Sulawesi (endemic ?)

leptostachys*
Calamus longisetus* leme Malaysia: Peninsular; Myanmar; Thailand;
Calamus luridus* huwi pantis Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular;

Thailand
Calamus bayabong Philippines: Agusan, Davao, Dinagat, Nueva

manillensis* Viscaya, Sorsogon, Surigao, Tayabas,
Calamus rotan besi Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

marginatus* Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak; Philippines:
Palawan
Calamus rotan maran Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia: Sarawak

mattanensis*
Calamus kalapit Philippines: Agusan, Camarines, Davao,

microcarpus* Laguna, Lanao, Rizal, Sorsogon; Tayabas
Calamus kulakling Malaysia: Sabah; Philippines: Bataan,

microsphaerion* Culion, Palawan
Calamus tumalim Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao

mindorensis#
Calamus muricatus* rotan melukut Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak;
Tropical Palms 81

Names1
Calamus wi dudok Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

myriacanthus* Sarawak;
Calamus korak bet Bangladesh; Bhutan; China: Yunnan ; India:

nambariensis Northeast; Lao; Myanmar; Nepal; Thailand;
Vietnam
Calamus optimus# rotan taman Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

Sabah, Sarawak
Calamus ornatus# rotan kesup Brunei; Indonesia: Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra;

Philippines; Singapore; Thailand
Calamus oxleyanus* manau riang Brunei; Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia:

Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak; Singapore;
Thailand
Calamus palustris# rotan buku China; India: Nicobar and Andaman Islands;
hitam Lao; Malaysia: Peninsular; Myanmar;
Thailand; Vietnam
Calamus rotan sirikis Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

paspalanthus* Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak
Calamus samole Indonesia: Sulawesi (endemic)

pedicellatus*
Calamus perakensis* rotan dudok Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular
Calamus peregrinus* nguay Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand
Calamus pilosellus* rotan lintang Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

Sabah, Sarawak (endemic to Borneo)
Calamus wi tut Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

pogonacanthus# Sabah, Sarawak (endemic to Borneo)
Calamus wai lau cincin Indonesia: Java, Sumatra; Malaysia:

polystachys* Peninsular
82 Tropical Palms

Names1
Calamus ramulosus* panlis Philippines: Luzon (endemic)
Calamus reyesianus* apas Philippines: Laguna, Quezon, Tayabas
Calamus rotan dawuh Indonesia: Java, Sumatra

rhomboideus*
Calamus rhytidomus* ? Indonesia: Kalimantan
Calamus rudentum wai boun Cambodia; Lao; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam
Calamus ruvidus* wee lumbak Malaysia: Sarawak (endemic)
Calamus salcifolius lpeak Cambodia, Vietnam
Calamus dara panda Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular

scabridulus*
Calamus scipionum# rotan semambu Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

Philippines: Palawan; Singapore; Thailand
Calamus siamensis wai khom Cambodia; Lao; Malaysia: Peninsular;

Thailand
Calamus danye shengteng China: Hainan Island

simplicifolius#
Calamus talola Indonesia: Sulawesi; Philippines: Luzon,

siphonospathus* Mindanao
Calamus solitarius wai thork Lao; Thailand
Calamus spinifolius* kurakling Philippines: Luzon
Calamus subinermis# rotan batu Indonesia: Sulawesi; Malaysia: Sabah;

Philippines: Palawan
Tropical Palms 83

Names1
Calamus tenuis bet Widespread South and Southeast Asia
Calamus baiteng (white Cambodia; China: Hainan Island , South;

tetradactylus# rattan) Lao; Thailand; Vietnam
Calamus tomentosus* rotan tukas Borneo; Malaysia: Peninsular
Calamus tumidus# rotan manau Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular

tikus
Calamus ulur* ? Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular
Calamus unifarius* wai sidekeni India: Nicobar Islands; Indonesia: Java,

Sumatra
Calamus usitatus* babuyan Malaysia: Sabah; Philippines
Calamus viminalis* penjalin cacing Bangladesh; Cambodia; India: Andaman

Islands, Bihar, Maharastra, Orissa, Prasesh;
West Bengal; Indonesia: Bali, Java, Sumatra;
Lao; Malaysia: Peninsular; Myanmar;
Sikkim; Thailand
Calamus wailong# wailong China: Yunnan; Lao
Calamus zollingeri# rotan batang Indonesia: Moluccas, Sulawesi
Daemonorops rotan getah Malaysia: Peninsular; Thailand

angustifolia*
Daemonorops draco* rotan jernang Indonesia: Kalimantan, Riau Archipelago,

Sumatra; Malaysia: Sarawak
Daemonorops lempinin Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia: Sabah

elongata* pahetan (endemic to Borneo)
Daemonorops uwai singkurung Brunei; Malaysia: Sarawak

formicaria
84 Tropical Palms

Names1
Daemonorops rotan sepet Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Peninsular,

hirsuta* Sarawak; Singapore
Daemonorops keplar Brunei; Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak; Indonesia:

ingens* Kalimantan (endemic to Borneo)
Daemonorops may rut Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; India:

jenkinsiana Northeast; Lao; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam
Daemonorops lapa Indonesia: Sulawesi (endemic ?)

lamprolepis*
Daemonorops huangteng China: Hainan Island, South

margaritae var.
margaritae#
Daemonorops sekei udang Indonesia: Java, Sumatra; Malaysia:

melanochaetes* Peninsular
Daemonorops rotan jernang Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia: Peninsular,

micracantha* Sabah, Sarawak
Daemonorops ditaan Philippines: Leyte

ochrolepis*
Daemonorops uwai bintango Borneo; Brunei

oxycarpa
Daemonorops wi empunoh Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

periacantha* Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak; Singapore
Daemonorops rotan susu Indonesia: Moluccas, Sulawesi

robusta#
Daemonorops widudok Brunei; Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak

ruptilis*
Daemonorops sabut# jungan Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak; Singapore;
Thailand
Tropical Palms 85

Names1
Daemonorops wi empunok ruai Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

scapigera* Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak
Daemonorops wi ruah air Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia:

sparsiflora* Sabah, Sarawak (endemic to Borneo)
Korthalsia cheb# keb Indonesia: Kalimantan; Malaysia: Sabah,

Sarawak
Korthalsia ferox uwai selika Borneo; Brunei; Thailand
Korthalsia rotan dahan Brunei; Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia:

flagellaris# Peninsular, Sabah, Sarawak; Singapore;
Thailand
Korthalsia jala wi danan Brunei; Malaysia: Sabah, Sarawak
Korthalsia rigida# rotan dahan Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra

Philippines: Palawan; Thailand
Korthalsia robusta# rotan asas Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra

Philippines: Palawan
Korthalsia rostrata# rotan semut Brunei; Indonesia: Kalimantan, Sumatra;

Singapore; Singapore; Thailand
Notes: 1. Other local names are given in some of the sources cited.
2. Distribution is within the Asian region as defined;
some species also occur elsewhere.
# Major commercial species, as defined by Dransfield & Manokaran, 1993.
* Minor commercial species, as defined by Dransfield & Manokaran, 1993.
Discussion
A detailed discussion of rattan canes and their commercial and subsistence uses is beyond the
scope of the present study. However, two objectives may be undertaken: first, to draw
86 Tropical Palms
attention to the major sources of technical information on rattans and their products and
second, to examine other selected issues related to the exploitation of wild rattans.
Technical Information on Rattans
There has been an impressive outpouring of technical studies on rattans over the past decade
and a half. Rattans have easily received more attention than all other wild palm products
combined, a clear indication of their economic value.
Modern rattan development was initiated in 1975 with a rattan project in Peninsular Malaysia.
Four years later, the first rattan workshop was held in Singapore (IDRC, 1980) sponsored by
the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada. Also the first regional
rattan study, of Peninsular Malaysia, was published (Dransfield, 1979). Since then, about
forty publications have appeared (Table 4-8). Workshop proceedings, regional rattan studies
and studies of specific topics have generated much-needed information in three major subject
areas: taxonomy, distribution and ecology of wild rattans; domestication and plantation
growth of promising species; and industrial processing of canes. Two lengthy rattan
bibliographies are included among the publications in Table 4-8.
Rattan research is actively being carried on in the major sources of commercial rattans in
South, Southeast and East Asian countries. A library of technical information on all aspects
of rattans is housed at the Rattan Information Centre, Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
Kepong. The Centre published a bulletin from 1982 to 1993 (see Chapter 11).
In an effort to promote collaborative rattan research, the International Network for Bamboo
and Rattan (INBAR) was established formally in 1993. The headquarters were located
initially in New Delhi, but moved to Beijing four years later. INBAR is directing its activities
toward five subject areas: socio-economic research; information, training and technology
transfer; production research; post-harvest technology and utilization; and biodiversity and
genetic conservation. INBAR publishes a quarterly newsletter (see Chapter 11) as well as a
series of working papers and technical reports, focused on socioeconomics, cultivation,
nursery techniques, processing and training. INBAR also supports a database of technical
information on bamboo and rattan.
Tropical Palms 87
Table 4-8 Selected Publications on Rattan Since 1979
Abbreviated Title and Geographic Coverage Contents/Comments

Reference
Rattans. PROSEA 6 Australia ; Brunei, Cambodia, China, Introduction to rattans of region; 30 major spp. covered in detail; brief
(Dransfield & Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua descriptions of 105 minor spp. Excellent general information source.
Manokaran,1993) New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Bibliography provides localized references on rattans in Southeast Asia.
Bibliography Thailand, Vietnam,
(Wulijarni-Soitjipto &
Danimihardja, 1995).
Rattan Current Research World Expert consultation on rattan development, December 2000. A special
(Dransfield et al., 2002) issue of Unasylva Vol. 52, 2001/2, No. 205, included some of the
Meeting site: Rome information from the consultation.
Rattan Glossary (Johnson World Terminology relative to rattans in world and Africa.
& Sunderland, 2004)
Rattan Bibliography World All aspects of rattan from 1790 to June 1986.
(Kong-Ong & Manokaran,
1986)
Rattans of World (George World Annotated bibliography of 876 citations.

& Sankara Pillae, 2003).
Guide Cultivation Rattan Southeast Asia but with strong focus on Field guide for growing rattan as commercial crop, includes discussions of
(Wan Razali et al., 1992) Peninsular Malaysia & Borneo econornics & processing. Primary source.
Manual Production Rattan Asia Manual of processing, marketing, design, manufacturing, etc.
Furniture. (UNIDO,
1983)
88 Tropical Palms

Reference
Rattan Workshop. (IDRC, Asia. Meeting site: Singapore Proceedings 1st regional rattan meeting (1979). Mostly consists of state-
1980) of-the art review of rattan at the time
Rattan Seminar. (Wong & Asia; country reports on China, India, Proceedings 2nd regional rattan meeting (1984). Technical papers (23) on
Manokaran, 1985) Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines & following topics: propagation practices; ecology & silviculture;
Thailand. Meeting site: Kuala Lumpur, properties, pests & diseases; processing & utilization, extension &
Malaysia information dissemination. Broad coverage of key issues.
Recent Research on Asia. Proceedings 3rd regional rattan meeting (1987). Technical papers (36) on
Rattans. (Rao & following topics: research; growth & silviculture: biology; processing &
Vongkaluang, 1989) Meeting site: Chiangmai, Thailand utilization; properties & multipurpose uses; economics & production.
Benchmark on research.
Rattan Cultivation Southeast Asia. Proceedings of 23 papers on conservation, genetic improvement and
(Bacilieri & Appanah, silviculture; resource inventory, trade and marketing; international
1999) Meeting site: Kuala Lumpur. agencies in rattan development; and case studies from SE Asia.
Rattan in Thailand Thailand. Analysis of sustainble utilization of rattans from plantations.

(Boonsermsku et al., 2007)
Rattan Research China China Compendium of 19 papers on broad aspects of rattans in China.
(Xu et al., 2000.)
Bamboo & Rattan in China Workshop proceedings; 7 of 19 papers deal with rattans
Tropical China (Zhu
Zhaohua, 2001) Meeting sites: Hainan and Yunnan.
Bamboo & Rattan in China; World Contributions from experts; about 30% of the book is devoted to rattans.
World (Zehui, 2007)
Tropical Palms 89

Reference
Rattan Management & Primarily India; also Malaysia and Sri Proceedings of Indian rattan meeting (1992). Technical papers (50) on
Utilization. (Chand Basha Lanka. following topics: area status reports, resource assessment & conservation;
& Bhat, 1993) production & management; structure, properties & processing; socio-
Meeting site: Trichur, Kerala, India economics & trade.
Third National Rattan Philippines. National rattan meeting (1995). Theme: Strengthening Community
Conference (ATI, 1995) Resource Management Through NTFP Enterprise Development. Papers on
Meeting site: Manila. rattans in general
Rattan Workshop. Philippines. National rattan meeting (1988). Technical papers (10) on various apects
(PCARRD, 1990) Of production, processing & marketing
Meeting site: Cebu City, Philippines
Rattans - Philippines. Philippines Summary of information & recommended practices for plantation
(PCARRD, 1985) establishment, management, cane processing & marketing.
Sustainable Rattan Asia. Workshop Proceedings consisting of of 9 country reports and papers on
Development (ERDB, sustainable management, technology needs, etc.
2004) Meeting site: Manila
Rattans - Malay Malaysia & Singapore Taxonomy of native rattans with good line drawings of 104 spp; natural
Peninsula. history; utilization & cultivation; common names.
(Dransfield, 1979)
Rattans - Sabah. Sabah, Malaysia Taxonomy of 79 native rattan spp.

Dransfield, 1984)
90 Tropical Palms

Reference
Rattans: Asia Training Asia. Proceedings of Training Courses cum Workshops; 34 papers equally
Workshop (Rao & Rao, divided among taxonomy and ecology; and silviculture, conservation,
1997) Meeting sites: Sarawak, Sabah. genetic improvement and biotechnology.
Rattans - Brunei Brunei Taxonomy of 80 species of native rattans.

(Dransfield, 1997).
Rettans Brunei Interactive

Key (Kirkup et al., 1999)
Rattans - Sarawak. Sarawak, Malaysia Taxonomy of 105 species of native rattans.

(Dransfield, 1992)
Rattans - Borneo Borneo Interactive key on CD Rom

(Dransfield & Patel,
2005).
Rattans - Lao (Evans et Laos Taxonomy of 51 species of native rattans.

al., 2001)
Rattans Cambodia (Khou Cambodia Taxonomy of 18 species of native rattans.

2008)
Rattnas – Nepal (Amatya, Nepal Descriptions and distribution of 3 native rattans.

1997).
Tropical Palms 91

Reference
Rattans – India (Basu, India, including Taxonomic study of 48 native rattan spp.
1992) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Rattans - Western Ghats. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Taxonomic study of 19 native rattan spp. of South India.
(Renuka, 1992) Kerala Tamil Nadu states, India
Rattans - South India. India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, General study including taxonomy: silviculture; regeneration; pests &
(Lakshmana, 1993) Kerala Tamil Nadu diseases; utilization.
South Indian Rattans India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Structure & properties of 15 native Calamus spp.
(Bhat, 1992) Kerala Tamil Nadu
Kerala Rattans (Renuka et Kerala State, India Morphology, anatomy & physical properties of 10 native Calamus spp;
al., 1987; Renuka & Bhat, commercial rattans.
2002)
Rattans - Andaman & Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India Taxonomic study of 18 species of native rattans.
Nicobar Islands.
(Renuka, 1995)
Rattans - Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Field guide to 10 species of native rattans.
(De Zoysa &
Vivekanandah, 1994)
Bamboo & Rattan - Sri Sri Lanka Detailed study of 8 rattan and 4 bamboo spp. native to & utilized in Sri
Lanka. (De Zoysa & Lanka.
Vivekanandah, 1991)
92 Tropical Palms

Reference
Rattans - Bangladesh. Bangladesh Taxonomic study of 11 spp. of native rattans.

(Alain, 1990)
Rattans – Africa Africa Field guide to 22 native rattans.

(Sunderland, 2007)
Rattan Workshop – Africa Africa Workshop proceedings of 12 papers on wide range of issues.
(Sunderland & Profizi,
2002)
Tropical Palms 93
Other Uses of Rattan Palms
A discussion of rattan utilization would be incomplete without mention of useful products

other than canes. Examples of secondary product uses are summarized in Table 4-9. It should
be pointed out that Table 4-9 contains data on only the 258 rattans in Table 4-5, Table 4-6 and
Table 4-7. Secondary uses are documented for other rattan species as well, but Table 4-9
captures the essence of noncane uses.
Table 4-9 Known Noncane Uses and Products of Rattans Included in Tables 4-5, 4-6
and 4-7
Product/Use Genus and Species
Calamus acanthophyllus; C. conirostris; C. dongnaiensis;

fruit eaten
C. floribundus; C. leptospadix; C. longisetus; C. manillensis;
C. merrillii; C. ornatus1; C. paspalanthus; C .rhabdocladus;
C. schortechinii; C. subinermis; C. thysanolepis; C. viminalis
Daemonorops formicaria; D. hirsuta; D. ingens;
D. oxycarpa; D. periacantha; D. ruptilis; D. scapigera
Calamus egregius; C. gracilis; C. javensis; C. muricatus; C.

palm heart (shoot) eaten2
myriacanthus; C. paspalanthus; C. rhabdocladus;
C. salicifolius; C. siamensis; C. simplicifolius; C. subinermis;
C. tenuis; C. viminalis
Daemonorops fissa; D. longispatha; D. margaritae;
D. melanochaetes; D. periacantha; D. scapigera;
D. schmidtiana; D. sparsiflora
Plectocomiopsis geminiflora
seeds chewed Calamus walkeri
fruit in traditional Calamus castaneus; C. longispathus

medicine Daemonorops didymophylla
root in traditional Calamus acanthophyllus

medicine
palm heart (shoot) in Calamus exilis; C. javensis; C. ornatus

traditional medicine Daemonorops grandis
Korthalsia rigida
fruit as red dye source Daemonorops didymophylla; D. draco; D. maculata;

D. micracantha; D. rubra
Calamus andamanicus; C. castaneus; C. dilaceratus;

leaves for thatching
C. longisetus
Daemonorops calicarpa; D. elongata; D. grandis; D. ingens;
D. manii
94 Tropical Palms
Product/Use Genus and Species
leaflet as cigarette Calamus longispathus

wrapper Daemonorops leptopus
leaf sheath/petiole for Calamus burckianus; C. insignis

grater
rachis for fishing pole Daemonorops grandis
Notes:
1. See Table 9-8 for nutritional composition of fruit.
2. Daemonorops jenkensiana. In Cambodia, larvae, which live in the palm heart, are collected for food and sale; the palm
heart itself is not eaten.
Rattan-Related Issues
Four topics are relevant to the future of rattan as a non-wood forest product and should be
touched upon here. They are: 1) increased wild sources of raw cane; 2) sustainable
management of wild stands; 3) conservation of threatened rattans and their habitat; and 4)
socio-economic and cultural issues related to rattan collecting. Each of these topics should be
reviewed as part of any forestry activity which includes rattan collecting.
Increased wild cane sources. Quantities of useable raw cane can be increased in two major
ways. One is to improve harvesting techniques to minimize wastage. Rattan gatherers
sometimes are unable to reach the full length of commercial cane they have cut and it goes to
waste. Immature rattans are cut rather than being allowed to grow to more worthwhile cane
lengths. Gatherers may leave harvested small-diameter canes in the forest to rot because they
derive more income from carrying out a large-diameter cane. The foregoing problems are
inherent to the gathering of non-wood forest products everywhere in the tropics and are
discussed as a socio-economic issue.
A second means of increasing wild cane production is to harvest a wider range of different
species. At present, only an estimated 20 percent of rattan species have commercial use
(Dransfield and Manokaran, 1993). Clearly there is potential to begin to utilize some of the
remaining 80 percent of the species. To introduce new commercial species to the industry
requires involvement at every level of the product chain from the rattan gatherer to the rattan
product consumer. Central to finding new commercial rattan species is field research on the
plants themselves, studiesof their technical properties and informing collectors and end users
about the new raw material. A good example of an attempt to increase wild cane production is
to be found in South India where research efforts are focusing on 15 native Calamus spp. as
sources of raw material for cane furniture and other products (Renuka, 1992; Bhat, 1992;
Renuka and Bhat, 2002). Lesser known-canes can contribute to wild rattan supplies; some
also are suitable for silvicultural trials (Dransfield, 1985).
Tropical Palms 95
Rattan management. To insure stable rattan supplies in the future, management is a

reasonable compromise between continuing to rely exclusively on wild rattans and outright
rattan cultivation. Rattans pose unique management difficulties because of their growth habit
since they may climb from tree to tree in the forest canopy. This creates problems in the
inventory of standing stock as well as in monitoring of the conditions of rattan populations
and their natural regeneration.
Three basic types of management are applicable to rattans:
1) Natural regeneration within the forest. This level of management requires no specific
technical inputs but does require that a sustainable harvest plan be developed and adopted.
Protected areas such as national parks, nature preserves or watersheds any of which permit
gathering of wild resources are highly suitable to this management approach. Siebert (1995)
has shown that sustained-yield rattan harvest is achievable within two Indonesian national
parks. Designating extractive reserves for rattan harvest, as suggested by Peluso (1992) for
Kalimantan, Indonesia, would fit within this management approach.
2) Enhanced natural regeneration and or cultivation within natural forest. In this instance,
forest cover is still largely intact (the area may have been selectively logged) and an area may
be set aside for rattan and other non-wood forest products. Management inputs may include
clearing of competing undergrowth vegetation in naturally-occurring forest canopy gaps to
promote young rattan growth. Selective felling to create artificial canopy gaps is also an
option. It is well known that canopy gaps are highly favorable for rattan growth
(Chandrashekara, 1993). Priasukmana (1989) reported on planting rattan within the natural
forest of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, to increase rattan stock.
3) Rattan cultivation as part of shifting cultivation or agroforestry. Incorporation of rattan into

shifting cultivation is an indigenous system in Kalimantan. Weinstock (1983) describes how
the Luangan Dayaks clear a forest plot to plant food crops for 1-2 years, but before leaving
the land fallow they plant rattan. When the rotation is repeated in 7-15 years, the farmer first
harvests the rattan then clears the plot again for food crops. Godoy (1990) suggests that
traditional rattan cultivation be incorporated into new agroforestry systems to raise small
landholder income. In Malaysia, trials to interplant rattans with rubber trees are being studied
(Aminuddin et al., 1985). All of these approaches merit further attention since rattan is not a
suitable monocultural crop.
Rattan conservation. Conservation is a matter of expediency for rattans because of the raw
material shortages being experienced by rattan industries in Southeast Asia and because of the
potential loss of essential gene pools for rattan domestication and plantation establishment.
It is somewhat encouraging that the need for rattan conservation is beginning to be recognized
seriously. A CIRAD-Foret collaborative program in Malaysia focused on seed collection,
establishment of conservation plots and genetic diversity (Durand, 1995). Five of the major
rattan species listed in Table 4-5, Table 4-6 and Table 4-7 are under study: Calamas manan
(threatened); C. trachycoleus (non-threatened) and C. caesius, C. optimus and C. subinermus
(all of unknown status).
Rattan conservation cannot be separated from general forest conservation. The combination of
decreasing forest cover and over-exploitation of wild canes threatens the very survival of a
commercial rattan industry in many parts of Southeast Asia (Dransfield, 1989). As shown in
96 Tropical Palms
Table 4-7, the sad fact is that we do not know enough about the conservation status of wild
rattans to identify which areas should be the focus of priority conservation actions.
Socio-economic and cultural issues. The impact on local rattan collectors oo the decline in
wild rattan resources is often overshadowed by the more publicized concerns for the rattan
product industry. Affected groups may be indigenous people living a relatively traditional life
in or near the forest or small landholders eking out a living with shifting cultivation. There are
a number of instances of local groups which are dependent upon gathering wild rattan and
other non-wood forest products for the cash income to purchase necessary modern industrial
goods.
Examples from the Philippines include the following: Antolin (1995) writes of rattan
collecting as an important source of employment in the uplands of northeastern Luzon;
Conelly (1985) describes how rattan and copal collecting represents a significant source of
cash income for the Tagbanua of Palawan Island; and Siebert and Belsky (1985) relate how a
lowland village depends upon collecting rattan and harvesting timber for a key source of
livelihood. Peluso (1992) and Weinstock (1983), already referred to above with respect to
Kalimantan, Indonesia, also stress the socio-economic importance of rattan. In Malaysia,
Kiew (1991) and Lim and Noor (1995) emphasize how the Orang Asli communities have a
stake in the future of rattan collecting.
Two interrelated socio-economic elements play a vital role in the future of rattans as non-
wood forest products. One is land tenure. Rattan management, of whatever kind, will only be
a success if those involved have clear title to the land, or have long and easily renewable lease
rights, so that the future benefits of sustainable practices can be guaranteed. The second
element involves the rattan collectors’ stake in the rattan resources they exploit. Currently, a
rattan collector rationally maximizes his or her income by harvesting the best and most
accessible canes, because they are paid by the piece for their labors. Larger canes bring the
best price and minimizing walking time is an efficiency for the collector. This same situation
applies to most non-wood forest product collecting. What is needed is a means to provide the
rattan collector with a stake in wild resource management and a method of payment which
rewards sustainable practices over excessive or wasteful exploitation.
Recent Developments
FAO Expert Consultation of 2000. A new stage of rattan development began in late 2000
through an expert consultation meeting organized by FAO. The consultation focused on three
key issues: rattan resources, socio-economics and environment and conservation. A
proceedings, entitled Rattan: Current research issues and prospects for conservation and
sustainable development (Dransfield et al., 2002). Results of the consultation also were
featured in a theme issue on rattans in the FAO journal Unasylva, No. 205, 2001/2002.
Actions recommended in the consultation proceedings were presented under three headings:
1) Resources. Intensify conservation efforts among the countries involved; develop suitable
resource assessment protocols, to include basic biological studies of the species; improve
techniques of enrichment planting and wild stand management.
Tropical Palms 97
2) Products. Research on physical properties of commercial rattans and potential of lesser-

known species; improve processing practices to reduce post-harvest loss and cane
deterioration; introduce uniform standards for grading of canes.
3) Policies and institutional support. Raise awareness of the rattan sector to decision-makers;
strengthen and coordinate institutions with regard to rattan conservation, including more NGO
and private sector involvement; provide tenure security to gatherers and planters; introduce
incentives for rattan cultivation and increased benefits to households and planters; deregulate
markets to benefit collectors and traders; strengthen extension support at the village level and
to small processors; provide training of gatherers and planters, and technical support as
necessary. One direct action resulting from the FAO consultation was a rattan glossary to
clarify terms and definitions associated with the rattan industry (Johnson and Sunderland,
2004). The consultation recommendations have provided useful guidelines to the rattan
development activities being carried out under programs headquartered in Laos and The
Philippines, described below.
WWF Sustainable Rattan Harvesting and Production Regional Program: Cambodia,

Laos and Vietnam. In 2006, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), supported by the
European Commission Union, IKEA and German and Dutch development agencies, began an
ambitious set of activities aimed at sustainable production and sustainable production systems
of rattan products. The projects are part of the WWF Greater Mekong Program, based in
Vientiane, and focuses on the valuable rattan resources of Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam.
Globally, the value of trade in rattan canes amounts to an estimated $4 billion per year. The
Greater Mekong’s rattan industry has the potential to gain a greater share of the world market,
based upon the more than 50 species of rattans native to the three countries. WWF plans to
extend the project activities to 2015.
In addition to making a contribution to the national economies of Cambodia, Lao and

Vietnam, the project directly benefits village communities which rely heavily upon the rattan
trade, accounting for up to 50 percent of cash income in villages located in areas of significant
cane resources. The rattan industry in these villages represents a major force to alleviate
poverty. Project field activities will target selected provinces in the three countries which
have a high availability of wild canes; and small and medium sized rattan processing facilities
near major cities. At the consumer level, the project will carry out activities in rattan
consuming countries, especially in Europe, to educate retailers and consumers about “green”
rattan products derived from sustainable production.
Rattans require a forest habitat for their growth and reproduction. Therefore, sustainable
rattan production and the maintenance of forest cover are interconnected. An industry based
on sustainable rattan production provides a financial incentive to maintain 50,000 hectares of
forest in Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam brings with it a reduction of economic costs and
environmental degradation in five ways: 1) reduce unsustainable harvesting practices; 2)
minimizing raw material wastage through more efficient handling and processing; 3) reduce
environmental pollution and improve conditions in processing facilities for better worker
health, resulting from toxic chemicals used in used in cane processing and their disposal; 4)
give the advantage to legitimate producers and traders by curtailment of illegal cane
production and trade through appropriate national legislation and enforcement; 5) enhance
cane product quality to give producers competitive products suitable for international markets.
98 Tropical Palms
Major project objectives until 2015 are the following: 1) by 2010: engage 100 communities
within the three countries in sustainable rattan production; 2) by 2011: have 40 percent of
small and medium cane processors engaged in cleaner production operations, and 15 percent
of processing facilities turning out environmentally-friendly products for international
markets; 3) by 2015: have 50 percent of the rattan processors in the three countries operating
to minimize environmental pollution and to turning out products meeting international market
standards.
For practical reasons, the WWF Program has given initial attention to rattans in Laos. The
chief reason for that focus was the existence of an excellent guide to the rattans of that
country (Evans et al., 2001), which described 51 native species. A companion guide to the
rattans of Cambodia (Khou, 2008) has been published by WWF. It provides detailed
information on the 18 native Cambodian rattans and sets the stage for additional studies.
Secondary noncane products also are being studied, as reflected in a technical report on rattan
shoot production as a food crop in Lao. The report states that the native Calamus tenuis is the
most important source of shoots, about 75 percent of current production originating coming
from plantations (Campbell, 2009).
Along with promoting sustainable production of canes from wild sources, the program has
investigated rattan cultivation as a complementary activity, to broaden the raw material base.
To this end, a manual on rattan growing was published (Sengdala, 2008). The manual draws
together current technical information for nursery and plantation operations from experiences
in other Asian countries. It also identifies 10 suitable native species (Table 4-10).
Table 4-10 Commercial Native Rattan Species of Lao

Genus and Species Commercial Cane Species with Cultivation Species with Cultivation
Species Potential for Cane Potential for Shoot
Production Production
Calamus bimaniferus X
Calamus gracilis X X
Calamus palustris X X
Calamus poilanei X X
Calamas rudentum X X
Calamus siamensis X X
Calamus solitarius X X
Calamus tenuis X X X
Calamus tetradactylus X
Calamus viminalis X X
Tropical Palms 99
Genus and Species Commercial Cane Species with Cultivation Species with Cultivation
Species Potential for Cane Potential for Shoot
Production Production
Daemonorops X X X
jenkinsiana
Myrialepis paradoxa X
Korthalsia laciniosa X
Source: Campbell, 2009; Evans, 2001.
The WWF rattan program has been designed with great care and given its vertical integration
all of the necessary components are in place for future success.
ITTO-Philippines-ASEAN Rattan Project. This four-year project was implemented in June

2006 and focuses on demonstration and application of production and utilization technologies
for rattan sustainable development. It is comprised of five components: pilot demonstrations,
research, training, database/website and networking.
Geographically, it includes the ASEAN countries and is headquartered in Laguna,

Philippines. Through the end of 2008, as gleaned from the project’s newsletter (RattaNews),
the following accomplishments were reported.
1) Rattan pilot demonstrations were on-going in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Myanmar,

Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Demonstrations have involved nursery operation and out-
planting and utilized a few key species in each country; primarily for cane production but also
for rattan shoots (Thailand) and resin (Indonesia).
2) Training programs, 21 in total, have been carried out; most widely in the Philippines,
but also in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Thailand and Vietnam. A number of agencies
collaborated in the rattan training activities which included rattan weaving.
3) The research component involves eight different projects, ranging from studies of
genetic variation and sex determination of key species (Philippines), to gender role studies in
forest enrichment plantings (Vietnam). Final reports of each project are in progress, which
include a guide to the identification of Philippine rattans.
4) The project website/database is updated on a regular basis and will include the various
final project documents when they are completed (www.aseanrattan.org).
5) Networking has involved organizations in the Philippines, as well as regional and

international bodies, to share information and avoid duplication of effort. The project
newsletter has served as a primary communications tool.
100 Tropical Palms
Figure 4-1 Cultivated sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) in Sarawak, East Malaysia.
Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Figure 4-2 Sago palm starch (Metroxylon sagu) for sale in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
The starch is wrapped in leaves from the same palm.
Photograph by Johanis Mogea.
Tropical Palms 101
Figure 4-3 Rattan canes (Calamus spp.) drying in the sun in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Photograph by Johanis Mogea.
Figure 4-4 Rattan factory. Java, Indonesia. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.

102 Tropical Palms
Figure 4-5 Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) in habitat in Sarawak, East Malaysia.
Figure 4-6 Salak palm fruits (Salacca zalacca) for sale. Java, Indonesia.
Tropical Palms 103
Figure 4-7 House wall panels made from buri leaves (Corypha utan). Mindanao,
Philippines. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Figure 4-8 Boiling down sap of buri palm (Corypha utan) to make sugar. Mindanao,
Philippines. Photograph by Domingo Madulid.
104 Tropical Palms
Figure 4-9 Calamus merrillii fruits (center) being sold in the Baguio Market,
Philippines. Photograph by Domingo Madulid.
Figure 4-10 Wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris) along a roadside. West Bengal, India.
Tropical Palms 105
Figure 4-11 Brushes made from palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf-base fiber.
Tamil Nadu, India. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Figure 4-12 Assorted products made from palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) leaf fiber.
Tamil Nadu, India. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
106 Tropical Palms
Figure 4-13 Sawing boards of coconut wood (Cocos nucifera) in Mindanao, Philippines.
Figure 4-14 Tapping nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) using a bamboo container to collect
the sap. Mindanao, Philippines. Photograph by Domingo Madulid.
Tropical Palms 107
5 PACIFIC OCEAN REGION

This chapter considers the islands of the Pacific Ocean which are geographically divided into
Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. Micronesia delimits islands in the western Pacific and
consists of the Mariana, Palau, Caroline, Marshall and Gilbert island groups. Melanesia lies to
the northeast of Australia and includes New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Fiji.
Polynesia designates the islands of the central Pacific, including Samoa (Western and
American), French Polynesia (Marquesas, Society Islands, etc.) and Tonga. Papua New
Guinea is also included within the scope of this chapter; politically the nation of Papua New
Guinea consists of the eastern portion of the island of New Guinea and the Bismarck
Archipelago as well as Bougainville.
The following geographic areas where palms occur are excluded from discussion in this
chapter and this report: The Hawaiian Islands; New Zealand, including the Kermadec Islands;
Australia and its island territories (e.g. Lord Howe, Norfolk, Christmas and Cocos); and the
Bonin and Ryukyu Islands belonging to Japan.
The Pacific Ocean Region presents some very unusual patterns of native palm diversity. In the
entire area of Micronesia there are only about ten species of native palms (Moore and
Fosberg, 1956). The situation in Polynesia is comparable. In marked contrast Melanesia has
much greater native palm diversity. For example, New Caledonia alone has 37 indigenous
palm species, all endemic (Hodel and Pintaud, 1998; Moore and Uhl, 1984) and Vanuatu has
21 native palms (Dowe and Cabalion, 1996). Papua New Guinea and its islands hold a very
rich diversity of palms, with about 270 native species in 31 genera (Baker and Dransfield,
2006; Essig, 1995; Hay, 1984). A recent study of the palms of the Fiji Islands describes the
25 native species (Watling, 2005). Dowe (2009), in a revision of the genus Livistona,
provides utilization information, other than ornamental use, on a few of the 36 species
recognized.
Coconut, considered as a cultivated tree, is the most widespread palm of the Pacific, found on
virtually every island, inhabited or uninhabited, that is of sufficient size and high enough
above sea level to support the growth of trees. A dozen or more palms from outside the region
have been introduced to these islands and in some cases become naturalized, giving individual
islands the appearance of a richer palm flora than they naturally possess. The betel nut palm
(Areca catechu) and the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) as well as several strictly
ornamental species serve as examples. Palms native to the region have also been introduced to
islands where they are not native. Examples are the useful sago palms, Metroxylon spp., and
two ornamental species, the Fiji fan palm, Pritchardia pacifica and the Marquesas palm,
Pelagodoxa henryana.
Native palms of the Pacific Ocean Region, as defined above, were assessed for information on
their utilization patterns and conservation status. The results of the assessment are evaluation
presented below; however, they can be understood better if placed within a broader context.
Two major factors stand out.
First of all, native palms of the region are not utilized to the magnitude that might be
expected. This circumstance can be explained by the existence of excellent alternative sources
of plant raw materials which are readily accessible. In the Pacific Islands, the chief alternative
plants are coconuts and the screw pines (Pandanus spp.). The case study on the multiple
utility of the coconut palm on the Truk Islands of Micronesia (Chapter 2) documents the very
108 Tropical Palms
limited exploitation of native palms. As for the other alternative plant source, screw pines are
widely distributed in the Pacific and provide edible fruits as well as leaves for thatching and
weaving.
The second factor is that information is lacking that would allow assigning a threatened or
non-threatened status to many native palms in the region. This applies in particular to New
Guinea (the country of Papua New Guinea to the east and the province of Papua, Indonesia to
the west) where a larger majority of the estimated 270 palm species carries an "unknown"
conservation status. This situation is being remedied by the Palms of New Guinea Project,
based at Kew Gardens. About 20 articles and a field guide to the 31 palm genera found on the
island have been published (Baker and Dransfield, 2006); a full palm flora is in progress.
Threatened Pacific Ocean Region Palms
A review of the technical literature on palms revealed at least 28 species of threatened palms,
representing 14 genera, currently being exploited in the region (Table 5-1). It is
acknowledged that this compilation probably is incomplete as regards palm utilization
because it was not possible to peruse the numerous ethnographic studies of this culturally and
linguistically diverse area. Coverage for Papua New Guinea is insubstantial because both
conservation status and detailed ethnographic data are lacking.
Habitat destruction or degradation caused by logging and clearing of land for agriculture and
urban development are the major threats to palms in the region. Palms occurring on islands
are particularly at risk because they often occupy habitats that are relatively small in area.
Moreover, island palms often represent distinctive species which have evolved due to
isolation. New Caledonia is a remarkable example of this circumstance for it possesses 32
native described species, all endemic to the island and in certain instances individual species
occur only in small areas of the island. All 32 of New Caledonia’s palms are threatened, but
only one, Alloschmidia glabrata, is reportedly exploited, for palm hearts. In New Caledonia,
as elsewhere in the region, coconuts and screw pines furnish plant materials for a wide variety
of uses.
Discussion
An examination of the palm products listed in Table 5-1 indicates that in most cases the
threatened palms are being exploited for subsistence-level production. Thatching and stem
wood for construction purposes are most prominent with some food products as well. If the
destructive impact of exploiting these palms is publicized it should be possible to promote
alternative raw material sources.
Commercial-level exploitation appears to be confined to the rattan palms (Calamus spp.),

popular sources of canes for furniture making, and palm heart exploitation.
Of the five threatened rattan species, only Calamus hollrungii and C. warburgii are of
sufficient importance to be even considered "minor rattans," according to Dransfield and
Manokaran (1993). Calamus hollrungii, according to the source just cited, is a source of
excellent furniture canes and has potential for cultivation. Rattans represent a potential
sustainable resource, especially in New Guinea where about 60 species of Calamus occur, but
Tropical Palms 109
except for the two species mentioned above, there is as yet no published information on either
conservation status or utilization.
110 Tropical Palms
Table 5-1 Threatened Pacific Ocean Region Palms with Reported Uses*
Scientific Names Selected Local Names1 Distribution2 Products/Uses
Actinorhytis calapparia vekaveke (New Ireland); boluru (Sol) PNG, Solomons nuts as betel substitute, edible palm heart
Areca guppyana bua lau Solomons (endemic) nuts as betel substitute
1. Balaka longirostris; 1. mbalaka, niuniu; 1, 2 & 3. Fiji (all endemic) 1. stems to make ceremonial spears; edible kernel;
2. B. pauciflora; 2. black bamboo;
3. B. seemannii 3. mbalaka, niuniu 2. stems to make spears;
3. stems for walking sticks & to make spears
Basselinia glabrata ? New Caledonia (endemic) edible palm heart
1. Calamus hollrungii; 1. Papuan white rattan (PNG), kuanua 1. PNG, Solomons; 1, 2,4 & 6. traditional house building & furniture making
2. C. vanuatuensis; (New Ireland);
3. C. vestitus; 2. Vanuatu (endemic); 2. minor use for furniture making, stem sap drunk &
4. C. vitiensis; 2. loya ken;
5. C. warburgii 3. PNG, Solomons; used as ointment;
3. ?;
4. Fiji, Solomons; 3. baskets, walking sticks
4.ngganuya;
5. PNG, Solomons
5. ?
Carpoxylon macrospermum bungool Vanuatu (endemic) fruit eaten, brooms from leaves, carrying & storage
(monotypic)
vessels from first inflorescence bract and leaf
sheath
Tropical Palms 111
1. Clinostigma harlandii; 1. ngami igh; 1. Vanuatu (endemic); 1. fruit mesocarp & palm heart eaten;
2. C. onchorhynchum;
3. C. samoense 2 & 3. niu vao 2 & 3. Western Samoa (both endemic) 2 & 3. stem wood split into rods for attaching thatch,
leaves for thatch
Heterospathe philipsii niuniu Fiji (endemic) immature seed & palm heart edible
Kentiopsis spp. ? New Caledonia (endemic genus) edible palm heart and stems for timber
Licuala grandis tabataba Vanuatu leaves used for wrapping and as an umbrella,
also in medicine
1. Metroxylon amicarum; 1.rypwyng; 1. Carolines (endemic); 1. leaves for thatching, seed is source of
2. M. salomonense;
3. M. vitiense; 2. heavy nut, ivory nut (Sol), bia (Van); 2. Solomons, Vanuatu; vegetable ivory;
4. M. warburgii
3. songo; 3. Fiji (endemic); 2. seed is source of vegetable ivory, leaves for
4. tenebee (Sol), uluwar (Van), ota 4. Solomons, Vanuatu Rotuma thatching & other uses;
(Rot)
3.leaves for thatching;
4. leaves for thatching, stem starch
Pelagodoxa henryana énu Marquesas Islands (endemic) young endosperm eaten

(monotypic)
Pritchardiopsis jenneneyi ? New Caledonia (endemic) seedlings & young plants

(monotypic)
112 Tropical Palms
1. Veitchia arecina; 1. palmtri 1. Vanuatu (endemic); 1. palm heart harvested for tourist restaurants;
2. V. filifera;
3. V. joannis; 2. niuniu, thangithake; 2,3,4. Fiji (all endemic) 2. stems previously (?) used as rafters; leaves
4. V. vitiensis;
3. niusawa; for thatching, stem wood to make canoe ribs,
4. kaivatu ceremonial spears, immature fruit edible;
3. leaves for thatching, stem for spars &
construction; seed & palm heart edible;
4. stems for house rafters, palm heart, seed &
inflorescence all edible
Notes:
1. Many other local names are given in most of the sources cited.
2. Distribution is within the region as defined; some species also occur elsewhere.
Sources: Cribb, 1992; Dowe, 1989a,b, 1996; Dowe et al., 1997; Dransfield et al., 2008; Essig, 1978, 1995; Gillett, 1971; Hay, 1984; Hodel & Pintaud, 1998; Horrocks, 1990; LeBar, 1964;
Moore, 1979; Moore & Uhl, 1984; Rauwerdink, 1986; Watling, 2005; Whistler, 1992.
Tropical Palms 113
The native rattans of the Pacific Ocean region are in general of lower quality and have less
value than the primary commercial species in Southeast Asia. As a substitute for exploiting
native rattan resources, the South Pacific Forestry Development Programme introduced three
commercial rattan species from Malaysia into the South Pacificwith trial plantings of
Calamus caesius, C. manau and C. subinermis (Tan, 1992).
Seven palms in Table 5-1 are indicated to have edible palm hearts and Veitchia arecina in
Vanuatu is exploited to furnish exotic salad ingredients to tou;rist restaurants. All seven of
these palms are solitary species and therefore the exploitation is unsustainable and should be
strongly discouraged.
The sago palms (Metroxylon spp.) are multipurpose species. Products currently being derived
from them (Table 5-1) could all be obtained from the main cultivated species, Metroxylon
sagu, as an alternative.
Non-threatened Pacific Ocean Region Palms
In the Region, 12 non-threatened palm species, in nine genera, have reported uses (Table 5-2).
This number will certainly increase as more becomes known about the palms of New Guinea.
Arenga microcarpa, Caryota rumphiana and Metroxylon sagu share the characteristics of
producing suckers and are terminal flowering; palms having these growth habitats are readily
managed on a sustainable basis.
Discussion
Subsistence-level uses for construction materials and food products characterize the palms in
Table 5-2. Three of the palms merit further discussion. Korthalsia zippelii in Papua New
Guinea apparently supports a cottage industry for making furniture.
Metroxylon sagu in Papua New Guinea is exploited for stem starch which is both a
subsistence and commercial product. Sago is produced manually and some surplus is
produced and sold in markets. Shimoda and Power (1986) and Power (1986) discuss the
status of sago in Papua New Guinea. Inasmuch as M. sagu is native to New Guinea it
represents a natural resource with substantial development potential. Over the past 20 years
the sago palm has received considerable attention because it is a high producer of starch per
unit area and sago starch has certain unique qualities for food and industrial uses. A new study
by Schuiling (2009) provides a detailed account of starch accumulation in the sago palm
trunk. Table 5-3 lists the major books on sago which have been published.
Nypa fruticans is found in pure stands in Papua New Guinea, but has been under utilized. A
major drawback is the lack of local knowledge of tapping techniques to obtain nipa sap and
convert it to sugar or alcohol. According to Päivöke (1983, 1984) nipa has development
potential in Papua New Guinea.
114 Tropical Palms
Table 5-2 Non-threatened Pacific Ocean Region Palms with Reported Uses

Names1
Areca macrocalyx Kumul, e’esu (Sol) Papua New Guinea, nuts as betel substitute
Solomons
Arenga microcarpa ? New Guinea edible palm heart
Caryota rumphiana gelep (New New Guinea, New Ireland stem wood for construction planks
Ireland)
Clinostigma savaiiense niu vao Western Samoa (endemic) stem wood split into rods for attaching thatch, leaves for thatch
1.Hydriastele costata; 1. ? ; 1. New Guinea; 1. stem wood for floor boards & siding;
2. H. cylindrocarpa;
3. H. macrospadix 2. niulip; 2. Solomons; Vanuatu 2. palm heart & fruit eaten;
(endemic to the two island
3. niniu groups); 3. stem wood for floor boards & siding
3. Solomons
Korthalsia zippelii ? (rattan) New Guinea furniture making, walking sticks, etc.
Tropical Palms 115

Names1
1. Livistona surru 1. surru 1&2. Papua New Guinea 1. roofs & umbrellas from leaves, stem portions for axe handles & house frames, leaf
sheath fibers for brooms and sago strainers;
2. L. tothur 2. tot-hur
2. roofs and umbrellas from leaves, bows from split stem, salt obtained from ash of burned
petioles;
Metroxylon sagu ambutrum (NG) New Guinea, Solomons stem starch (see Table 9-22 for nutritional composition), leaves for thatching, petioles for
construction, etc.
Nypa fruticans ak-sak (Boug); New Guinea, leaves for thatching, tapped for sap, heart & immature endosperm eaten; leaves for
(monotypic) towe’el (Palau) Bougainville; Marianas thatching (Mar)
Notes: 1. See Table 5-1.

2. See Table 5-1.
Sources: References for Table 5-1 and in addition: Dowe, 2009; Essig, 1982; McClatchey & Cox 1992; Päivöke, 1983, 1984; Ruddle et al., 1978; Whistler, 1987.
116 Tropical Palms
Table 5-3 Books Published on the Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu) since 1977
Abbreviated Title and Reference Contents/Comments
First Sago Symposium, Sarawak, Proceedings represent a benchmark on sago &

1976 (Tan, 1977) consist of 32 papers under the general headings:
prehistory & ethnobotany; agronomy & economics;
technology & industry.
Palm Sago (Ruddle, et al., 1978) A global study of sago starch with chapters on:
traditional extraction; sago as subsistence food;
sago in myth and ritual; modern commercial sago
production; international trade; future outlook.
Second Sago Symposium, Malaysia, Proceedings consist of 17 papers divided between

1979 (Stanton & Flach, 1980) sago palm growth & starch production, & actual &
potential food & industrial uses.
Sago West Malaysia (Tan, 1983) A detailed study of the sago industry in Batu Pahat
District, southwestern Peninsular Malaysia.
Sago Palm (Flach, 1983) A development paper prepared especially for the
expert consultation meeting in January 1984, see
next item. A state-of-the art summary.
Sago Palm Products (FAO, 1986) A collection of 25 papers for an expert consultation
meeting, January 1984, covering the general topics:
management of natural stands; agronomy & farming
systems; sago processing & utilization;
socioeconomics.
Third Sago Symposium, Japan, Proceedings consist of 28 papers covering three

1985 (Yamada & Kainuma, 1986) general areas: case studies of sago production in
specific areas of Southeast Asia & Papua New
Guinea; sago palm growth; technical & industrial
aspects of starch production.
Fourth Sago Symposium, Sarawak, Proceedings consist of 33 papers given in the

1990 (Ng et al., 1991) following seven broad areas: status & prospects;
ecology, distribution & germplasm; in vitro culture;
growth & nutrition; environment & production;
processing & quality; utilization & product
development
Fifth Sago Symposium, Thailand, Proceedings comprised of 19 papers covering three

1994 (Subhadrabandhu & Sdodee, general areas: technical & industrial aspects of sago
1995) starch; sago palm cultivation; economics
Tropical Palms 117
Abbreviated Title and Reference Contents/Comments
Sixth Sago Symposium, Sumatra, Proceedings include 30 papers with emphasis on

1996 (Jose & Rasyad, 1998) sago as a future source of food and feed.
Sago Round Table Meeting, Proceedings of 4 SE Asian country reports focused

Thailand (Sriroth et al., 1999) on small scale starch extraction.
Sago 2000 International Seminar, Proceedings of 35 papers on topics ranging from

Java (IPB, 2000) production to food and nonfood products from sago.
Sago 2001, International Proceedings include 29 papers on various topics

Symposium, Japan (Kainuma et al., including production, utilization and starch
2002) processing and regional reports.
Eighth Sago Symposium, Indonesia, Theme: sago palm development and utilization;
2005 (Karafir et al., 2006) proceedings volume of 266 pp. not seen.
Ninth Sago Symposium, 2007 Theme: sago potential in food & industry.
(Toyoda et al., 2009)
Proceedings published but not seen.
Growth & development of sago Published PhD dissertation examining how starch is
palm (Schuiling, 2009) accumulated in the stem.
Note: Two additional other international sago meetings are known to have been held:
1. A Seventh International Sago Symposium was held in Papua New Guinea in 2001. No proceeding was published.
2. The First ASEAN Sago Symposium 2009: Current Trends and Development in Sago Research, was held in Kuching,
Sarawak, Malaysia, in October 2009. A proceeding is planned.
118 Tropical Palms
Tropical Palms 119
6 LATIN AMERICAN REGION

New World palms and their products is the subject of this chapter. The region is defined as
extending north-south from Mexico to Chile and Argentina, and including the islands of the
Caribbean.
Palm species diversity in this region is second only to Asia. Glassman (1972) recognized
over 1,100 palm species in the Americas (including the United States). However, in a field
guide to New World palms, Henderson et al. (1995) consider there to be only 550 palm
species native to the Americas. This significant difference in species totals is attributable to
the many synonymous names included in the higher figure and the fact that Henderson et al.
(1995) follow a broad species concept resulting in the lower number.
Over the last two decades, research in the biological and social sciences has helped to
generate a reliable body of knowledge about the utilization patterns and scientific names of
Latin American palms. This knowledge has come from several different approaches, and can
be illustrated by the following examples grouped into five categories.
General palm studies. The survey of the major underutilized palms of tropical America
(FAO/CATIE, 1984) is an excellent source of information. Papers in the palm symposium
proceedings (Balick, 1988b) primarily deal with the Latin American region. Balick (1984,
1989) also has provided surveys of palm ethnobotany and diversity of use in the region. A
natural resource approach was used by Kahn (1991) in a study of palms in swamp forests of
the Amazon. Kahn and de Granville (1992), in their study of palm forest ecosystems of
Amazonia, provide data on leaf and fruit productivity which have direct relevance to
exploiting palm products. A literature survey of South American palms as sources of
medicine was carried out by Plotkin and Balick (1984). Schultes (1974) examined the
relationship between palms and religious beliefs among indigenous people in the northwest
Amazon.
Indigenous palm use. South America has been the focus of a number of studies. The palm
use of the Shipibo in Peru was studied by Bodley and Benson (1979), as previously shown in
the case study in Chapter 2. Anderson (1978) investigated indigenous palm names and uses
by the Yanomama in Brazil. An ethnobotanical study of the Chácobo Indians in Bolivia by
Boom (1986) documented palm use. Gragson (1992) studied palm utilization by the Pume
Indians and Beckerman (1977) by the Bari Indians, both in Venezuela. Palm use in coastal
Ecuador among the Cayapas and Coaiqueres was investigated by Barfod and Balslev (1988).
Balick (1979b) documented palm use by the Guahibo in Colombia and the Apinayé and
Guajajar Indians in Brazil (1988c). Indigenous and folk communities of the southwestern
Amazon in Brazil were investigated for their palm uses by Campos and Ehringhaus (2003).
Taxonomic revisions and geographic area studies. Systematic floras and national palm
books often include information on usage. Such is the case with the revisions of Aiphanes
(Borchsenius and Bernal, 1996); Allagoptera (Moraes, 1996); Bactris (Henderson, 2000);
Euterpe and Prestoea (Henderson and Galeano, 1996) and Roystonea (Zona, 1996). The flora
of Bolivia contains detailed utilization data (Moraes, 2004).
A comprehensive study of Brazilian palms (Lorenzi et al., 2004) includes information about
the distribution of species and utilization. The book is important because Brazil has the most
120 Tropical Palms
diverse palm flora of the Neotropics. A new revised edition is in preparation, to be published
in 2010 in both Portuguese and English versions.
Examples of other national palm books include the Dominican Republic (Hoppe, 1998),
Trinidad and Tobago (Comeau et al., 2003), Chile (Grau, 2006) and a detailed book on
Ecuadorian palms (Borchsenius et al., 1998). The Amazon forest is richly endowed with
useful palm fruits which furnish edible fruits; Miranda et al. (2001) is an excellent reference
source on this subject.
Other studies on palms and their utilization deal with specific geographic areas, such as: the
Caribbean Region (Read, 1988), Cuba (Moya López and Leiva Sánchez, 2000), French
Guiana (Granville, 1999), the Dominican Republic (Horst, 1997), the island of Dominica,
(James, 2009), Mexico (Quero, 1992) and Colombia (Bernal, 1992). Borchsenius et al.
(1996) did a study of Ecuadorean palm use; and Kahn (1988), Mejía (1988, 1992) and López
Parodi (1988) all researched the subject in parts of eastern Peru. Pinheiro and Balick (1987)
edited and translated material on Brazilian palm use.
Oil palm studies. The American oil palms have been the subject of several investigations
relative to their economic potential. Lleras and Coradin (1988) provide an overview of the oil-
bearing palms of the region and Balick (1979a) examined the subject in the Amazon. Balick
(1986, 1988a) also looked in detail at oil palms in the genus Oenocarpus). Anderson et al.
(1991) studied in depth the potential of the babaçu palm (Attalea speciosa ) in Brazil. Pesce
(1985) and Miranda et al. (2001) provide information on the characteristics of Amazonian
palm oils.
Management and domestication studies. Apart from American oil palms, management of
other wild palm stands has been the subject of research. Anderson (1988) in the Lower
Amazon in Brazil, and Urdaneta (1981) in the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela, each studied
management of the açaí or manaca palm (Euterpe oleracea). Voeks (1988) examined
management of the piassava palm (Attalea funifera) in Bahia, Brazil. Pinard and Putz (1992)
researched palm demographics and management which included a dozen New World palms.
Ecuadorian palms with agroforestry production potential were the subject of a book by
Borgtoft Pedersen and Balslev (1990). Coradin and Lleras (1988) provided an overview of
New World palms with domestication potential.
The only fully domesticated native palm of the region, pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes var.
gasipaes) has been the object of a number of studies (Clement, 1988, 1998, 2008; Mora-Urpí
et al., 1996), the results of which may be applicable to other species in the region. Another
palm receiving attention for its management potential is the multipurpose moriche palm
(Mauritia flexuosa), which occurs in nearly pure stands and in great numbers in the Amazon
Basin.
Threatened Latin American Palms
The foregoing discussion provides background for an assessment of natural native palm
populations which have reported uses and are also under threat in the wild. Table 6-1 lists 28
genera and their species which are known to be utilized as well as threatened by a
combination of factors. Criteria for inclusion in the table on the basis of utilization were that
Tropical Palms 121
uses are contemporary or historical with the possibility of renewal; certain examples of very
minor and occasional use are omitted.
It should be noted that there are a number of threatened species which do not appear in Table
6-1 because they have no current utility. Also, information on the conservation status of some
forest palms in remote areas is unknown. Within the Latin American region, the chief threats
to native palms populations are deforestation or degradation related to timber harvest, forest
clearing and conversion to pastures for cattle raising; as well as traditional practices of
shifting cultivation. Palm species which require an understory habitat are particularly
sensitive.
Discussion
The main purpose of Table 6-1 is to draw attention to those products derived from threatened
palms, products which should not be promoted for commercial production if they rely upon
wild palm stands. It is advisable to distinguish in general between subsistence uses and
commercial uses. Subsistence-level exploitation, especially by indigenous groups of forest-
dwellers, in most cases poses no significant threat to wild palm populations. But
commercialization of the products of threatened palms which inevitably must lead to an
increase of pressure on wild palms can bring about adverse effects. Overexploitation of leaves
and fruits impairs natural regeneration of populations of standing trees. Digging of palm
seedlings for ornamental use has the same effect if insufficient numbers of reproducing plants
are not left in place. Felling trees themselves for products such as palm heart or fruit can
result in the most serious impact of extractive activities on native palms.
The predominant uses in Table 6-1 are leaves for thatching as well as for weaving in basketry;
food and feed products derived from fruits, palm heart and palm sap; and construction
material from palm stems. Certain of the palms listed warrant discussion.
122 Tropical Palms
Table 6-1 Threatened Latin American Palms with Reported Uses*

Scientific Names Selected Local Names! Distribution Products/Uses and Selected References
Aiphanes linearis chirca (Col) Colombia edible fruit (Borchsenius & Bernal, 1996)
Allagoptera arenaria; 1. cacando (Bra); 1 & 2. Brazil 1 & 2. edible fruit
A. brevicalyx 2. burri da Praia (Bra)
Astrocarvum aculeatissimum; 1. birejauva (Bra); 1. Brazil; 1. leaves for brooms & hats, stems for construction;
2 & 3. Colombia liquid endosperm used as medicine;
A. malybo; 2. anchamba (Col); 2. veins of young leaflets used to make mats,
baskets;
A. triandrum 3. cabecenegro (Col) 3. stems used for fencing & construction
Attalea amygdalina; 1. taparo (Col); 1. Colombia; 1. edible & oil -bearing seed;
2. carossier (Hai); 2. Haiti; 2. seeds eaten by children;
A. crassispatha; 3. catoIé (Bra); 3. Brazil; 3. leaves for thatching, oil-bearing seed;
4. coco (Bra), conta (Per) 4. Brazil, Peru 4. endocarp burned to smoke rubber
A. oleifera;
A. tessmannii
Brahea aculeata; 1. palmilla (Mex); 1. Mexico; 1. leaves for thatching;

2. palma de sombrero (ElS), suyate (Hon), 2. Mexico to El Salvador; 2. stems for construction, leaves for thatch, leaf
B. dulcis capulin (Mex) Nicaragua fibers for rope, edible fruit
Butia eriospatha butiá (Bra) Brazil fruits used to flavor alcoholic drink
Calyptronoma rivalis coquito (DR); Palma (Hai); palma manaca Dominican Republic, Haiti, young leaves for weaving, mature leaves for
(PR) Puerto Rico thatching (Zona, 1995)
Ceroxylon spp. palma de cera (Col), palma de ramo (Ecu), Bolivia, Colombia, leaves cut for Palm Sunday, stems for fences &
ramo benedito (Ven) Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela construction, fruits fed to pigs
Tropical Palms 123
Chamaedorea spp. canelilla, guaya, guaita, molinillo, pacaya, Mexico to Brazil; Bolivia cut foliage, whole plants & seed for ornamental
(all except C. tepejilote) pacayita, palmilla, sangapilla, tepejilote, use. (Bridgewater et al., 2006; Endress et al., 2004,
xaté 2006; Hodel, 1992)
Coccothrinax borhidiana; 1. guano (Cub); 1 & 2. Cuba; 1,2 & 3. leaves for thatching
2. guano barbudo(Cub); 3. Haiti
C. crinita; 3. gwenn (Hai)
C. ekmanii
Colpothrinax wrightii palma barrigona (Cub) Cuba leaves for thatching, stem for canoe, water barrels,
etc., fruits fed to livestock (Evans, 2001)
Copernicia brittonorum; 1. jata de costa (Cub); 1 & 3. Cuba; 1, 2 & 3. leaves for thatching
2. om de pay (Hai); 2. Haiti
C. ekmanii; 3. barrigón (Cub)
C. gigas
Cryosophila guagara; 1. guágara (CR); 1. Costa Rica; leaves for thatching;

2. mojarilla (Hon) 2. Honduras
C. williamsii edible palm heart (Evans, 1996)
Euterpe catinga; 1. açaí da catinga (Bra), asaí de sabana 1. Brazil, Colombia, Peru, stems for construction, leaves for thatching. fruits
(Col), manaca (Col) Ven); Venezuela; to make drink;
E. edulis; 2. yayih(Arg) juçara, (Bra); 2. Argentina, Brazil,
3. guayaquil (Per) Paraguay; edible palm heart (see Table 9-19 for nutritional
E. luminosa 3. Peru composition) (EMBRAPA, 1987; Reis & Reis,
2000;
stems for poles
Gaussia maya palmasito (Bel), cambo, (Mex) Belize, Mexico stems used for construction
124 Tropical Palms
Geonoma congesta cortadera (Col), caña de danta (CR), suita Colombia, Costa Rica, leaves for thatching
(Hon) Honduras, Nicaragua,
Panama
Itaya amicorum (monotypic) xila (Bra), marimiipa (Col) Brazil, Colombia, Peru leaves for thatching
Jubaea chilensis (monotypic) palma de coquitos (Chi) Chile nuts sold as snack food, tapped for sap
Mauritia carana caraná (Bra, Col, Ven), canangucha Brazil, Colombia, Peru, leaf sheath fibers to make brooms, leaves for
desabana (Col), aguaje (Per) Venezuela thatching (Gonzalez et al., 2009)
Oenocarpus distichus bacaba (Bra) Bolivia, Brazil fruits used to make a beverage and to extract oil
Parajubaea sunkha; palma sunkha (Bol); 1 & 2. Bolivia 1 & 2. leaf sheath & petiole fiber woven into rope
(Enssle et al., 2006; Moraes, 1996; Vargas, 1994)
P. torallyi janchicoco (Bol)
Phytelephas seemannii; tagua (Col, Pan) Colombia, Panama seeds for vegetable ivory, leaves for thatching
P. tumacana (Dalling et al.,1996)
Pseudophoenix ekmanii; 1. cacheo (DR); Dominican Republic; 1. former source of palm wine by felling tree;
2. fruits collected for livestock feed
P. lediniana 2. pal (Hai) Haiti
(Zona, 2002)
Sabal pumos; 1. palma real (Mex); 1 & 2. Mexico 1. fruit mesocarp edible, leaves for thatching;
2. palma blanca (Mex) 2. leaves for thatching
S. uresana
Tropical Palms 125
Syagrus botryophora; pati (Bra); 1,2,3 & 5. Brazil; 1. stems in construction, seeds for oil;
4. Brazil, Colombia, Peru 2. waxy leaves as fuel;
S. harleyi; coco de raposa (Bra); 3. leaves to make brooms;
4. leaves for thatching, seeds eaten;
S. pleioclada; coqueirinho (Bra), 5. leaves to make brooms & strainers
S. smithii; catolé (Bra);
S. werdermannii coco de vassoura (Bra)
Trithrinax brasiliensis carandaí (Bra) Brazil leaflets used to weave hats
Wettinia fascicularis; macana (Col); 1. Colombia, Ecuador; 1,2 & 3 . stems used for construction (Bernal, 1995)
2. Colombia
W. hirsuta; palma mazorca (Col);
W . longipetala no common name
Notes:
1. An index of common names appears in Henderson et al. (1995).
2. There are numerous common names for Chamaedorea palms and they vary from place to place; for more detail see Hodel (1992).
Source: Henderson et al., 1995 and others as indicated.

126 Tropical Palms
Table 6-1 groups species of Ceroxylon and Chamaedorea. Eleven species of Ceroxylon are
recognized. Ceroxylon palms are unique because they represent, for the palm family, some of
the tallest palms in the world (up to 60 m in height) and those occurring at the highest
elevations (to 3,150 m). These palms grow in montane rain forests, areas under intense
pressure as a result of logging and land clearing for agriculture and livestock raising. As
indicated, the palm stems are a source of construction material. Formerly, palms were felled
to extract the wax covering the stems of Ceroxylon. Remaining stands of these palms should
be protected and exploitation for any of their products discouraged.
Chamaedorea palms are also grouped in a single entry, with the exception of C. tepejilote as
noted. This represents the largest New World palm genus, with about 110 species. The
habitat of Chamaedorea palms is the understory of tropical rain forests ranging from sea level
to 2,600 m. About ten species of Chamaedorea are important in ornamental horticulture and
for cut foliage, particularly in the United States and Europe. Chamaedorea seifrizii (xaté or
bamboo palm) and C. elegans (parlor palm or neanthe bella) are the two most important
commercial species. This is not the place to go into a detailed discussion of commercial
species of Chamaedorea, a subject covered in detail by Hodel (1992). It will suffice here to
point out the key issues related to wild populations.
Without question, the chief threat to chamaedoreas is the destruction of their natural forest
understory habitat, for the palms cannot survive without it. Gathering of wild Chamaedorea
seed and cutting leaves for the florist trade both have adverse effects on wild populations.
Seed collection results in reduced natural regeneration and removal of more than a few leaves
per stem can decrease plant vigor and diminish fruit production.
Fortunately, increasing cultivation of chamaedoreas for seed is reducing the pressure on wild
palms, except in the case of certain species (e.g. Chamadorea elegans) which are difficult to
grow without artificial pollination. The main sources of wild collected seed are Mexico and
Guatemala. Cut leaf exports originate from Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica. In northern
Guatemala, there is a project to try to manage sustainably the harvest of leaves of wild C.
elegans, with some hopeful results (Reining and Heinzman, 1992). More recent studies in
Belize and Mexico on leaf harvest have provided an economic assessment of collecting
practices (Belize) and the impact of leaf harvesting on leaf production (Mexico) (Bridgewater
et al., 2006; Endress et al., 2004, 2006). Most promising in the long run is to encourage local
farmers to cultivate the desirable palm species to satisfy the demand for seed and cut foliage
(Vovides and Garcia Bielma, 1994).
Euterpe edulis is a single-stemmed palm native to the Atlantic Forest of eastern South
America. To a major degree, its inclusion in Table 6-1 is because of exploitation for
commercial palm heart production in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. In Brazil, wild stands
were reduced to near uneconomic levels, forcing many palm heart companies to shift
operations to the Lower Amazon and the exploitation of E. oleracea. Nevertheless, naturally-
occurring E. edulis is still being cut in southern Brazil; industries continue to operate there as
well in the neighboring countries.
Nowhere is the practice sustainable. If replacement plantings were done in the forest to
replace harvested trees, sustainable production of palm heart from E. edulis could be
achieved. In Brazil, E. edulis has been studied in detail as an attempt to conserve and
sustainably manage wild populations for palm heart production (Reis and Reis, 2000). Also,
efforts are being made in Brazil to cultivate the palm on plantations and to produce a hybrid
Tropical Palms 127
between Euterpe edulis and E. oleracea with a clustering stem that could make cultivation
production price competitive with the harvest of wild E. edulis (EMBRAPA, 1987).
Two threatened South American palms, Itaya amicorum and Jubaea chilensis, are represented
by monotypic genera; with a single species in the genus. From a conservation standpoint,
monotypic species merit special attention because of the unique biodiversity they represent.
128 Tropical Palms
Non-threatened Latin American Palms
Table 6-2 Non-threatened Latin American Palms with Reported Uses
Scientific Names1 Local Names2 Distribution Products/Uses and

Selected References
Acrocomia aculeata mbocayá (Arg), totaí (Bra), macaúba Bra), El Salvador, Haiti, multipurpose palm including oil-bearing seed & sap for
corozo (Col, Ven), tamaco (Col), coyol (CR, Honduras, Mexico; palm wine (Balick, 1990)
EIS, Hon, Mex), Costa Rica to
carosse (Hai) Argentina; Bolivia,
Paraguay
Allagoptera campestris; 1, 2 buri (Bra); Argentina, Brazil, 1.edible immature fruits;

3. tacuchicoco (Bol), coco da chapada Paraguay; 2. stems in construction, leaves for thatching, edible fruit;
A. caudescens; (Bra);
Brazil; 3. mesocarp & seeds edible
A. leucocalyx
Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Paraguay
Aphandra natalia piassaba (Bra, Ecu), tagua (Ecu) Brazil, Ecuador, Peru leaf sheath fiber for making brooms, leaves for thatching,
edible immature fruit, male inflorescences fed to cattle
(Borgtoft Pedersen, 1992; 1996)
Asterogyne martiana cortadera (Col), pico (Ecu), capoca (Gua), Colombia, leaves for thatching
pacuquilla (Hon), pata de gallo (Nic) Ecuador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua
Tropical Palms 129

Selected References
Astrocaryum aculeatum; 1. chonta (Bol), tucum (Bra), awara (Guy), 1. , Bolivia, Brazil, 1. fruit mesocarp edible, oil-bearing seed (Kahn &
cemau (Sur), tucuma (Ven); Colombia, Guyana, Moussa, 1999; Moussa & Kahn, 1997);
A. campestre; 2. jarivá (Bra); Suriname, Trinidad 2. young leaf fiber to make fishing nets, fruits edible;
3. tucuma (Bra), charribira (Col, Ecu, Per), Venezuela; 3. young leaf fiber to make hammocks. fishing nets, bags
A. chambira; cumare (Col. Ven), coco (Col, Fen); (Holm Jansen & Balslev, 1995):
4. jauri (Bra), güiridima, (Col, Ven), yavarí 2. Bolivia, Brazil; 4. leaf rachis used for weaving, endocarps for necklaces,
A. jauari; (Col), chambirilla, (Ecu, Per), sauarai fruits as fish bait, edible palm heart;
(Guy), liba awara (Sur); 3. Brazil, Colombia, 5. young inflorescence & endosperm eaten, leaves for
A. mexicanum; Ecuador, Venezuela;
5. lancetilla (Hon), chocho (Mex); thatching & stems for tool handles (Ibarra-Manrriquez,
A. murumuru; 6. chonta (Bol), murumuru (Bra), chuchana 1988)
(Col. Ecu). huicungo (Per); 4. Brazil, Colombia, 6. mesocarp eaten, leaves for thatching, stems for
7. guérregue (Col), accord (Ecu); tucum Guyana, Peru, construction;
A. standleyanum; Suriname, Venezuela;
(Bra), swarra (Sur);
A. vulgare 7. stems for construction, fruit fed to pigs, young leaves
8. tucumã (Bra), awarra (FrG, Sur) 5. Belize, El Salvador, for weaving (Borgtoft Pendersen, 1994; Velásques Runk,
Honduras, Mexico, 2001);
Nicaragua; 8. fruit mesocarp to make mash, flavor ice cream & a
beverage (Mousa & Kahn, 1997)
6. Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Ecuador,
Guianas, Peru,
Venezuela;
7. Colombia, Costa
Rica, Ecuador,
Panama;
8. Brazil, French
Guiana, Suriname
130 Tropical Palms

Selected References
Attalea allenii; 1. taparín (Col), igua (Pan); 1. Colombia, Panama: 1. leaves cut for Palm Sunday, fruit edible;
2. palla (Bol), jací (Bra), palma de vino 2. Bolivia, Brazil, 2. leaves for thatching (Standley & Steyermark, 1958);
A. butyracea; (Col), palma real (CR, Pan), corozo (CR, Colombia, Costa Rica, 3. oil from seeds, eaves for thatching (McSweeney,
Gua, Mex, Ven), canambo (Ecu), coquito Ecuador, Guatemala, 1995);
A. cohune; (Gua), coyol real (Mex), shebon (Per), Mexico, Panama, Peru, 4. seeds collected for commercial oil extraction
palma. de agua (Ven); Venezuela; (Blicher-Mathiesen & Balslev, 1990; Feil, 1996);
A. colenda; 3. cohune (Bel, Gua, Hon, Mex), corozo 3. Belize, El Salvador, 5. endosperm used to make candies & sweeten food;
(EIS, Gua, Hon), manaca (Hon): Guatemala, Honduras, 6. leaf base fiber is commercially exploited (Monteiro,
A. exigua;
4. palma real (Col, Ecu); Mexico; 2009; Voeks, 1988, 2002);
A. funifera; 5. babaçu (Bra); 7. leaves for thatching;
6. piaçqava (Bra); 4. Colombia, Ecuador; 8. leaves for thatching, endocarps burned to smoke
A. maripa; 5. Brazil; rubber;
7. cusi (Bol), anajá (Bra), güichire (Col) 6. Bolivia, Brazil, 9. seeds collected for commercial oil extraction
A. phalerata; inayo (Ecu), maripa (FrG, Sur), kukarit Ecuador, French (Anderson et al., 1991, Balick, 1987)
(Guy), mayuga (Per), cucurito (Ven); Guiana, Guyana,
A. speciosa 8. motaca (Bol) urucuri (Bra), shapaja (Per); Suriname, Trinidad;
9. cost (Bol), babaçu (Bra)
7. Colombia. Venezuela;
8. Bolivia, Brazil.
Paraguay, Peru;
9) Bolivia, Brazil,
Guyana, Suriname
Tropical Palms 131

Selected References
1. Bactris barronis; 1. lata (Col), alar (Pan); 1. Colombia, Panama; 1. split stems as flooring;
2. B. brongniartii; 2. marajá (Bra), chaearrá (Col), bango pal in 2. Bolivia, Brazil, 2. fruits eaten;
3. B. concinna; (Guy), ñejilla (Per), caña negra (Ven); Colombia, Guianas, 3. fruits eaten by humans & livestock;
4. B. ferruginea; 3. marajaú (Bel), marajá (Bra), chontilla Peru, Venezuela; 4. leaf fiber woven into fishing line;
5. B. guineensis; (Ecu), ñejilla (Per); 3. Brazil, Colombia, 5. stems formerly once used to make walking sticks
6. B. major; 4. rnané véio (Bra); Costa Rica, Ecuador, for export, fruit to make a drink;
7. B. maraja; 5. corozo (Col) biscoyol (CR), coyolito (Nic), Panama, Peru, 6, 7, 8. fruits eaten (Clement, 2008);
8. B. plumeriana: uvita de monte (Pan), piritu (Ven); Venezuela;
4. Brazil;
(Per), macanilla (Ven); 5. Nicaragua;
6. Belize, Bolivia,
6. hones (Bel), marayú (Bol), marajá (Bra), Colombia, El Salvador,
lata (Col), huiscoyol (Els,Gua,Hon,Nic), Guatemala, Honduras,
jahuacté (Mex), caña brava (Pan), cubarro Mexico, Nicaragua,
(Ven); Panamá, Venezuela,
7. Bolivia, Colombia,
7. chontille (Bol, Col, Per), marajá Bra), Costa Rica, Panamá,
Chacarrá (Col), uvita (Pan), ñeja (Per), piritu Peru, Suriname,
(Sur,Ven), uva de montaña (Ven); Venezuela;
8. coco macaco (Cub), coco macaque (Hai),
prickly pole (Jam) 8. Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Haití, Jamaica
Chamaedorea tepejilote Palmito dulce (CR), pacaya (EIS, Gua, Mex), Colombia, Costa Rica, El immature male inflorescence as food from cultivated
caña verde (Pan) Salvador, Guatemala, & wild plants (Castillo Mont et al., 1994); see Table
Mexico, Panama 9-9 for nutritional composition of this product
Chelyocarpus chuco hoja redonda (Bol), caranaí (Bra) Bolivia, Brazil leaves for thatching & to weave hats
132 Tropical Palms

Selected References
Coccothrinax argentata; 1. silvertop (Bah), thatch palm (Cay), 1. Bahamas, Cayman, 1. stems for construction, leaves for thatchíng;
yuruguana de costa (Cub), silver thatch (Jam), Cuba, Honduras, 2 & 3. leaves for thatching;
C. argentea; knacás (Mex); Jamaica, Mexico; 4. leaves for weaving & thatching
2. guano (DR), latanye maron (Hai); 2. Dominican Republic,
C. barbadensis; 3. latanier bala¡ (Gud, Mar), palma de Haiti;
abanico (PR); 3. Guadeloupe,
C. miraguama 4.miraguano (Cub) Martinique, Puerto Rico;
4. Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Haiti
Copernicia alba; 1. caranday (Arg, Bol, Par), carandá (Bra); 1. Argentina, Bolivia, 1. stems for construction & utility poles, leaves for
2. carnaúba (Bra); Brazil, Paraguay; weaving (Markley, 1955; Moraes, 1991);
C. prunifera; 3. sará (Col), cobija (Ven);
4. yarey, jata, guano cano (Cub) 2. Brazil; 2. leaves source commercial wax (see Table 9-15 for
C. tectorum; wax composition & properties) & to weave hats &
3. Colombia, Venezuela; mats (Johnson, 1972);
C. macroglossa, C. baileyana, C. 3. leaves for weaving & thatching, stems for
cowellii, C.hospita, C. rigida 4. Cuba construction;
4. leaves to weave hats & baskets, thatching, stems
for fence posts
Tropical Palms 133

Selected References
Desmoncus cirrhiferus; 1. matamba (Col), boira negra (Eco); 1. Colombia, Ecuador; 1. stems used to weave baskets & fish traps, fruit
2. Brazil, Colombia, edible;
D. giganteus; 2. jacitara (Bra), vara casha (Per); Ecuador, Peru; 2. stems used to weave various products (Henderson
3. Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, & Chávez, 1993);
D, mitis; 3. jacitara (Bra), bejuco alcalde (Col), Colombia, Ecuador, 3. stems use for basketry & to tie beams in
barahuasca (Per); Guatemala, Mexico, construction (Galeano, 1991);
D. orthacanthos; 4. basket tie (Bel), bayal (Bel, Gua, Hon, Venezuela; 4. stems for basketry;
Mex), urubamba (Bol), matamba (Col, CR, 4. Bolivia, Brazil,
D. polyacanthos Pan), jacitara (Bra), karwari (Guy), 5. stems for basketry & sieves (Hübschmann et al.,
Colombia, Costa Rica,
bambamaka (Sur), camuari (Ven); Guyana, Honduras, 2007)
5. jacitara (Bra), bejuco alcalde (Col), vara Panama, Suriname,
casha (Per), voladora (Ven) Venezuela;
5. Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Peru,
Venezuela
Dictyocaryum fusicum; 1. palma araque (Ven); 1. Venezuela; 1.wood used in cabinetry:

2. barrigona (Col), palma real (Ecu), basanco 2. Bolivia, Colombia; 2. stems used for construction;
D. lamarckianum; (Per); Ecuador, Peru; 3. stems used in construction, leaves for thatching
3. bombona paso (Col), pona colorada (Per) 3. Brazil, Colombia,
D. ptarianum Peru, Venezuela
Elaeis oleifera caiaué (Bra), nolí (Cot) Central America; mesocarp oil extracted for cooking & other uses
Northern South America; (Schultes, 1990)
Brazil, Colombia
134 Tropical Palms

Selected References
1) Euterpe oleracea; 1. açaí (Bra), naidí (Col), manaca (Ven); 1.Brazil, Colombia, 1.stem cut for commercial palm heart (see Table
Ecuador, Venezuela; 9-19 for nutritional composition), fruits made into
2) E. precatoria 2. açaí (Bra), asaí (Bol, Col), uasi (Per), 2.Central America; drink (Anderson, 1988; Pollak et al., 1995,
manaca (Ven) Bolivia, Brazil, Strudwick & Sobel, 1988; Tabora et al., 1993);
Colombia; Ecuador, Urdaneta, 1981);
Guianas, Peru, 2. stems cut for commercial palm heart, stems used
Venezuela for construction, fruits made into drink
Geonoma spp. (selected) ubim, assai-rana, jatata, palmiche, wide neotropical leaves of many species used for thatching, most
cortadera, ubimacu, huasipanga, daru distribution important is G. deversa (jatata) in Bol & Per (Rioja,
1992), stems of some spp. used for construction,
Iriartea deltoidea (monotypic) copa (Bol), paxiúba barriguda (Bra), Bolivia, Brazil, stems split for construction, canoes & other wood
barrigona (Cot), maquenque (CR), bomba Colombia, Costa Rica, uses (Anderson, 2004; Johnson & Mejía, 1998;
(Ecu), huacrapona (Per), barriguda (Ven) Ecuador, Nicaragua, Pinard, 1993)
Panama, Peru,
Venezuela
Leopoldinia piassaba piassaba (Bra), chiquichique (Col, Ven) Brazil, Colombia, stem fiber gathered & traded locally, fruits used to
Venezuela make a drink (Putz, 1979)
Lepidocaryum tenue caraná (Bra, Col), caraña (Per), morichito Brazil, Colombia, Peru, leaves for thatching, esp. in Peru (Kahn & Mejía,
(Ven) Venezuela 1987) species used in construction
Tropical Palms 135

Selected References
Manicaria saccifera terniche (Ven), bussú (Bra), jiquera (Col), Brazil, Colombia, leaves for thatching
troolie (Guy), guágara (Pan) Ecuador, Guyana, (Wilbert, 1976)
Panama, Peru,
Venezuela
Mauritia flexuosa caranday-guazú (Bol), buriti (Bra), aguaje Northern South multipurpose palm edible fruit mesocarp (see Table
(Per), moriche (Col, Ven) America; Bolivia, Brazil, 9-24 for composition), oil from fruit, leaf fibers for
Colombia, Peru, rope, baskets, wine & starch from stem (Holm et
Venezuela al., 2008; Manzi & Coomes, 2009; Padoch, 1988,
Ruddle & Heinen, 1974; Sampaio et al., 2008)
1. Oenocarpus bacaba; 1. bacaba (Bra), manoco (Col), unguraui I & 2. Northern South 1. fruits used to make beverage;
2. 0 bataua; (Per), seje pequeño (Ven); America; Brazil, 2. fruits contain edible oil, also used to make
3. 0. mapora 2. batauá (Bra), seje (Col), chapil (Ecu), Colombia, Peru, beverage, leaves woven into baskets, stems in
unguraui (Per), aricaguá (Ven); Venezuela construction (Balick & Gershoff, 1981);
3. bacaba (Bol), bacabai (Bra), pusuy (Col), 3. fruits used to make beverage, leaflet midveins
ciamba (Per), mapora (Ven) 3. Bolivia, Brazil, used for basketry
Colombia, Costa Rica,
Panama, Peru,
Venezuela
1. Phytelephas aequalorialis; 1. tagua (Ecu); 1. Colombia, Ecuador; 1, 2 & 3. seeds for vegetable ivory (Barfod, 1989;
2. P. macrocarpa; 2. yarina (Col, Ecu, Per); 2. Bolivia, Brazil, Peru; Barfod et al., 1990; Calera Hidalgo, 1992; Koziol
3. P. schottii 3. cabecinegro 3. Colombia & Borgtoft Pedersen,1993; Ziffer,1992
(Col)
136 Tropical Palms

Selected References
Pseudophoenix vinifera cacheo (DR), katié (Hai) Dominican Republic, leaves for thatching, fruits fed to livestock, former
Haiti source of palm wine obtained by felling tree
Raphia taedigera jupatí (Bra), pángana (Col), yolillo (CR), Brazil, Colombia, Costa petioles used as poles, petiole strips used to make
matomba (Pan) Rica, Nicaragua, shrimp traps & bird cages (Carney & Hiraoka,
Panama 1997)
Roystonea borinquena; 1. palma caruta (DR), palmis (Hai), palma real Dominican Republic, 1. fruits fed to livestock (Zanoni, 1991, 1996);
(PR); Haiti, Puerto Rico; 2. stems cut into planks for construction, fruits fed
R. regia 2. yagua (Hon, Mex), palma criolla (Cub), to livestock, leaves for thatching (Zona, 1991,
Palma real (Cub, Hon, Mex) Caribbean; Cuba, 1996)
Honduras, Mexico
Tropical Palms 137

Selected References
1. Sabal causiarum; 1. palma cana (DR), palma de sombrero(PR); 1. Dominican Republic, leaves for thatch & weaving hats, mats, etc ;
2. S. domingensis; 2. palma cana (DR), latanier-chapeau (Hai); Haiti; mesocarp of S. pumos edible (Joyal, 1996;
3. S. maritima; 3. guana cana (Cub), bull thatch (Jam); 2. Cuba, Dominican Martínez-Ballesté et al., 2008; Zona, 1990)
4. S.mauritiiformis; 4. botán (Bel, Gua), palma amarga (Col), Republic, Haiti;
palma de guagara (Pan), carata (Ven);
5. S. mexicana; 3. Cuba,Jamaica;
6. S. palmetto; 5. Palma de sombrero (EIS), palma de micharo
7. S. pumos ; (Mex); 4. Belize, Colombia,
6. guana cana (Cub); Guatemala, Mexico;
8. S. uresana; Panama, Venezuela;
9. S. yapa 7. palma real (Mex); 5. Central America; El
Salvador, Mexico;
8. thatch palm (Bel), botán (Bel, Gua), palma
guano (Cub), cana (Mex); 6. Bahamas, Cuba;
7. Mexico;
9. palma blanca (Mex) 8. Belize, Cuba,
Guatemala, Mexico;
9. Mexico
Socratea exorrhiza; 1. pachuba (Bol), paxiúba (Bra), zancona(Col), 1. Central America; I & 2. outer part of lower stem split to make house
bombón (Ecu). jira (Pan), cashapona (Per), Bolivia, Brazil, floors and walls
S. montana macanilla (Ven); Colombia, Ecuador,
2. gualte (Ecu) Panama, Peru,
Venezuela;
2. Colombia, Ecuador
138 Tropical Palms

Selected References
1. Syagrus cardenasii; 1. corocito (Bol); 1. Bolivia; 1 & 2. edible fruit;

2. S. cornosa; 2. babo (Bra); 2. Brazil; 3. edible fruit, oil from seed, edible palm heart,
3. S. coronata; 3. ouricuri (Bra); 3. Brazil; leaves fed to livestock, wax from leaves
4. S. flexuosa; 4. acum; 4. Brazil; (Crepaldi, et al., 2004);
5. S. inajai; 5. curua rana (Bra); 5. Brazil, Guianas; 4. edible fruit;
6. S. oleracea; 6. catoIé (Bra); 6. Brazil, Paraguay; 5. leaves for thatching, edible fruit;
7. S. petraea; 7. cocorito (Bol), coco de vassoura, (Par); 6. edible fruit, edible palm heart;
8. S. romanzoffiana 8. pindó (Arg, Par), jeribá (Bra); 7. Bolivia, Brazil; 7. leaves for brooms & basketry;
9. S. sancona; 9. sumuqué (Bol), sarare (Col, Ven); 8. edible fruit, edible palm heart, stems in
10. S. schizophylla; 10. aricuriroba (Bra); 8. Argentina, Bolivia, construction;
11. S. vagans Brazil, Paraguay, 9. stems for fencing and to conduct water;
11. pindoba (Bra) Uruguay;
9. Bolivia, Peru, 10. edible fruit;
Venezuela; 11. leaves & inflorescences fed to livestock,
10. Brazil; leaves fed to livestock, leaves for thatching &
weaving hats
11. Brazil
Thrinax morrisii; 1. miraguano (Cub), palma de escoba (PR); 1. Caribbean; Cuba, 1& 2. leaves for thatching, stems as poles
2. guano de costa (Cub), guanillo (DR) latanier- Puerto Rico;
T.radiata la-mer (Hai) chit (Mex)
2. Caribbean; Belize,
Dominican Republic,
Haiti, Honduras,
Mexico;
1. Trithirnax campestris; 1. sago (Arg), caranday (Uru); 1. Argentina, Uruguay; 1. leaves for thatching;
2. Argentina, Brazil,
2. T. schizophylla 2. carandillo (Arg, Bol), burití (Bra) Paraguay 2. stems in construction, leaves for thatching &
making hats, baskets
Tropical Palms 139

Selected References
Welfia regia Amargo (Col, Pan) palma conga (CR) camara Northern South America; leaves for thatching, stems in construction
(Per) Colombia, Costa Rica,
Panama, Peru
1. Wettinia aequalis; 1. ratonera (Col), 1. Colombia, Ecuador; 1-5. stems used in construction
2. W.Kalbreyeri; Panama;
3. W.maynesis; 2. gualte (Col, Ecu) 3. corunta(Col), gualte 2. Colombia, Ecuador;
4. W.praemorsa; (Ecu), camonilla (Per);
5. W.quinaria 4. mapora (Col); prapa (Ven); 3. Colombia, Ecuador,
5. memé (Col), gualte (Col, Ecu) Peru;
4. Colombia, Venezuela;
5. Colombia, Ecuador
Notes:
1. Scientific names follow Henderson et. al., (1995).
2. See Note 2, Table 6-1.
Sources: Henderson, el al., 1995; Quero, 1992; Read, 1988 and others as indicated.
140 Tropical Palms
A slightly longer list of palms is presented in Table 6-2, which includes 33 genera; 18 of
which are not included in Table 6-1. The 15 genera common to both tables demonstrate that
exploited palm species within the same genus may be either threatened or non-threatened in
the wild, depending upon the circumstances. Palms in Table 6-2 were selected on the same
basis as those in Table 6-1, that is there is documented current or past use. Uses in the latter
category are included if there is a possible resumption of the exploitation. Again, a small
number of palms are excluded because the level of utilization is very minor or only occurs
occasionally.
Discussion
At current exploitation levels, apart from any other factors, the palms listed in Table 6-2 do
not appear to be negatively impacted to any serious degree by their utilization. Major
commercial products derived from palms in the region fall into four product groups: edible
palm heart; vegetable oil from palm fruits; leaf and leaf base fiber; and wax from palm leaves.
The following discussion is comprised of general comments about some of the respective
products and palms, and is intended to highlight those utilizations which may lead to
problems of sustainability in the near future.
Species of the Acrocomia, Astrocaryum, Attalea, Elaeis and Oenocarpus comprise the most
important oil-bearing palms of the region. In the past, indigenous peoples depended upon
these palms as a subsistence source of vegetable oil and utilization continues to this day.
These palms produce high quality oil; Oenocarpus oil, for example, has been compared
favorably to olive oil. But unfortunately the quantity of oil in these wild palm fruits is low.
Two major problems hinder large-scale industrialization of oil production from these New
World palms. One, the palms are wild or semiwild and hence fruit collection is inefficient
and productivity per unit area is low. Two, national and international markets are dominated
by other palm oils, e.g. African oil palm and coconut, as well as oils from annual crops such
as soybeans. The first problem could be overcome by domestication and breeding of superior
American oil palm species; but the second problem currently is insurmountable because of
high productivity per unit area of the competing vegetable oil crops. The best potential for
expanded utilization may rest with the management of natural palm stands to increase
population densities and promote growth along with development of village-level vegetable
oil industries to serve local markets, or to develop new niche markets.
Internationally, the most significant contribution of the American oil palms thus far concerns
Elaeis oleifera, which is being used as a source of germplasm for a breeding program to
improve disease resistance in E. guineensis.
Leaf and leaf base fibers constitute both subsistence and commercial activities in the region.
As indicated in Table 6-2, many palm leaves are used for thatching. As long as leaf harvest
from individual trees is not excessive, this use is sustainable. Where the palm-like Panama hat
plant (Carludovica palmata) occurs in Central America and northern South America, it
represents an often preferred source of leaf material for weaving, reducing pressure on the
palms.
In Brazil, palm leaf base fibers are collected from Attalea funifera (Bahia piassava, Atlantic
Forest) and Leopoldinia piassaba (Pará piassava, Central Amazon) and primarily used to
manufacture brushes and brooms. Collection of these fibers is a benign and sustainable form
of exploitation providing that the trees themselves are not damaged in the process.
Tropical Palms 141
Over its natural range in Mexico, Central America and Colombia, the pacaya palm
(Chamaedorea tepejilote) occurs in considerable numbers. It is also an exception within the
genus. It is the tallest (to 7 m) and tolerates disturbance and more open habitats. This palm is
also widely cultivated for its edible, immature male inflorescence which resembles an ear of
maize. Pacaya (the palm and the food product share the common name) is a traditional food of
local people and is eaten fresh as well as preserved in jars or tins (Castillo Mont et al., 1994).
A small industry exists in Guatemala to preserve pacaya for markets in the region; a quantity
is exported to supply emigrant populations in the United States and Canada. Little known
outside the region or the ethnic groups in other countries, pacaya has the potential of being
promoted as an exotic food item.
The carnaúba palm (Copernicia prunifera) represents the region’s chief commercial source of
hard vegetable wax. Carnaúba palms constitute almost pure stands in seasonally-flooded river
valleys in northeastern Brazil. Leaves of this fan palm have a coating of hard cuticle wax
which is obtained by cutting and drying the leaves and then mechanically chopping them into
small pieces to dislodge the wax particles. Although in recent decades carnaúba wax has been
replaced in many of its former applications by synthetics, it still retains a market for high
quality floor and automobile polishes, and is used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic
industries because of its high melting point and because it is edible. Current levels of
exploitation could be expanded with more efficient harvest techniques and new markets for
the wax.
The genus Desmoncus represents the New World counterpart to the true rattans of the Old
World. The stems of several species of this climbing palm are used in Latin America to weave
baskets and other objects. In recent years, as part of a search for new wild rattan supplies,
importers in the United States have investigated the possibility of exploiting Demoncus
populations. However, the small cane diameter and general physical properties of Desmoncus
are not well suited for making quality rattan furniture. Henderson and Chávez, 1993; and
Hübschmann et al., 2007, describe the utilization of these liana palms. No species of
Desmoncus is currently classified as threatened, but that could be because the conservation
status of these palms is poorly known. Moreover, the genus needs systematic revision to
determine valid species names. Any proposed exploitation of wild populations should be
preceded by taxonomic and conservation studies.
South America is the source of most of the world’s commercial palm heart. Industries based
on the exploitation of natural stands of Euterpe oleracea, E. precatoria and (to a lesser
degree) E edulis operate in Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru
and Bolivia. The first two species are widely distributed in South America and occur as major
tree species, the third has far more limited numbers because of the loss of so much of its
natural habitat in the Atlantic Forest. All three have high quality palm heart. Exploitation is
destructive because the individual tree is killed to extract the tender apical meristem.
The basic difference between Euterpe oleracea and together E. edulis and E. precatoria is
that oleracea is a clustering palm, bearing ten or more stems per cluster, whereas the two
others are single-stemmed species. As to the question of sustainability of this wild plant
resource, the clustering species has real potential as long as annual harvest only takes the
large stems and one mature stem is left per cluster to serve as a seed source for natural
regeneration. Harvesting the wild single-stemmed species is unsustainable, although some
level of managed regeneration may be feasible. Natural populations of E. precatoria will
likely, in the next decade or two, follow the pattern of E. edulis with populations reduced to
142 Tropical Palms
uneconomic levels. In terms of palm heart production, economic development efforts should
be directed toward practical management systems for or cultivated of E. oleracea.
Palm heart is identified as a major wild palm product in northern South America
(Broekhoven, 1996) and generally in Latin America (Shanley et al., 2002).
Mauritia flexuosa is Latin America’s most abundant palm, occurring as dense stands in
permanently swampy areas, particularly in the Amazon Basin. From an economic
development standpoint the moriche palm has considerable potential because it is the source
of so many different products. Management of natural stands could enhance fruit and leaf
production to provide food items and fiber. Stem starch and sap production for palm wine
could also be promoted as a means of diversifying economic output from a management unit.
The references cited in Table 6-2 indicate there is renewed interest in this palm, which might
lead to its management and ultimate domestication, following the example of the peach palm,
Vegetable ivory is the hardened endosperm of palms in the genus Phytelephas. Two species
of this palm are included in Table 6-1 because they are threatened, whereas three species
appear in Table 6-2 because at present they are not. Vegetable ivory was used in the 19th and
early 20th century for making buttons, until plastics replaced it. In the 1990s, Conservation
International, Washington, D.C., established the Tagua Initiative, to revive vegetable ivory
products including buttons, jewelry and carvings. Promotion focused on the items being
natural products and an alternative to animal ivory. Raw materials come from P. aequatorialis
stands Ecuadorian coast, where the industries are also located. The Tagua Initiative has
achieved modest success, and vegetable ivory is being harvested and processed to benefit
local communities.
About one-half the genera in Table 6-2 indicate stem wood as a product. Palm stems are cut
and used whole for poles and in construction. Split stems may also be used as floor and wall
coverings, as well as fashioned into spears, bows and other objects. Palm wood can be sawn
into parquet pieces and used on the floors and walls of public buildings and in modern homes.
Palm wood from the genera Bactris, Iriartea, Socratea and Wettinia is reported to be of the
highest quality. There are many abundant palms species in these four genera which could be
exploited for specialized wood products. One of the unusual uses for the Iriartea palm stem
is to make a temporary canoe (Johnson and Mejía, 1998).
As the foregoing examples clearly demonstrate, subsistence-level and commercial palm

products are important in the Neotropics.
Tropical Palms 143
Figure 6-1 Collecting pacaya inflorescences (Chamaedorea tepejilote) in Guatemala.

Photograph by Don Hodel.
Figure 6-2 Babaçu fruits (Attalea speciosa) being sun-dried in Northeast Brazil.
144 Tropical Palms
Figure 6-3 Tucum fruits (Astrocaryum aculeatum) for sale in Manaus, Brazil.
Figure 6-4 The huasaí palm (Euterpe precatoria) in habitat near Iquitos, Peru.
Tropical Palms 145
Figure 6-5 Spear and bow carved from buri palm wood (Allagoptera caudescens) in
Bahia, Brazil. Pataxos Amerindians living near Monte Pascoal National
Park make these objects to sell to tourists. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Figure 6-6 Palm leaf products (from Euterpe oleracea and other palms) for sale in
Belém, Brazil. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
146 Tropical Palms
Figure 6-7 Bundles of recently-harvested piassava leaf base fiber (Attalea funifera).
Bahia, Brazil. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Figure 6-8 Pejibaye palm (Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes) cultivated in a germplasm
collection near Manaus, Brazil. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Tropical Palms 147
7 AFRICAN AND THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN REGION
Africa
The continent of Africa is defined geographically to include, because of close mainland ties,
the equatorial Atlantic islands (Malabo, São Tomé and Príncipe) as well as Zanzibar and
Pemba, part of Tanzania, in the Indian Ocean. Excluded are the northern Atlantic island
groups of the Canaries and Cape Verde.
Compared to Asia or Latin America, the palm flora of Africa is relatively poor in species
diversity. Only about 50 palm species are native to the continent as defined here. However,
from a utilization point of view, the low species diversity is compensated for by extensive
populations of several species and a range of palm products that approaches that of Asia or
Latin America.
Tuley (1995), in his book on African palms, includes a major section on utilization and
Sunderland (2007) provides details on rattans. Other botanical information sources are the
floras of West Africa (Russell, 1968), East Africa (Dransfield, 1986), Benin (Aké Assi et al.,
2006) and Seychelles (Robertson, 1989).
African palms providing subsistence and commercial products have been separated into two
groups on the basis of whether they are under threat or not in the wild (Table 7-1 and Table
7-2).
Threatened African Palms
The seven palms in Table 7-1 are under threat as a result of destructive exploitation by
humans and animals for leaves, fruit, wood or rattan; as well as because of deforestation. The
in situ conservation status of Hyphaene spp. over African continent is poorly known and
difficult to determine because there is no modern revision of the genus and field work is
hampered because of the volatile political situation in several key areas where the palms
occur. Until its rediscovery in 1995 in Sudan, Medemia argun was feared to be extinct
(Gibbons and Spanner, 1996). This palm has been brought into cultivation for ornamental
purposes, but its status in the wild remains precarious. Owing to recent research on African
rattans and the genera Podococcus and Sclerosperma, reflected below, knowledge of the
palms of Africa is improved considerably from the first edition of this study.
148 Tropical Palms
Table 7-1 Threatened African Palms with Reported Uses*
Scientific Selected Local Distribution Products/Uses

Name Names
Dypsis mpapindi Pemba Island, seed harvested for

pembana Zanzibar (endemic) ornamental plantings
Eremospatha balu W Ghana, E. Ivory whole canes for furniture

dransfieldii Coast, Sierra Leone frames, split for coarse
baskets
Hyphaene doum Somalia multiple products

reptans
Jubaeopsis inkomba, Cape Province, South seed for ornamental

caffra Pondoland Africa (endemic) plantings, edible fruit?
(monotypic) palm
Livistona carin Djiboute, Somalia leaves & stems

carinensis
Medemia argoon Egypt, Sudan leaves to weave mats, edible

argun fruit, stem wood ?
Sclerosperma Ghana to Angola leaves for thatch

mannii

Sources: Ford et al., 2008; Johnson, 1991a; Shapcott et al., 2009; Sunderland, 2007; van Valkenburg et al., 2007, 2008;
Täckholm & Drar 1973; Tuley, 1995; Wicht, 1969.
Non-threatened African Palms
Although the nine palm taxa in Table 7-2 generally are not known to be under threat in the
wild that is not necessarily the case for all species of Eremospatha, Hyphaene, Laccosperma
and Raphia. This factor is elaborated on below. Borassus aethiopum (presumably including
B. akeasii), wild and semi-wild Elaeis guineensis and Phoenix reclinata, on the other hand,
occur in large numbers over wide areas and are the source of many different palm products.
Africa has four genera and 22 species of rattans (Sunderland 2007). The genera
Eremospatha, Laccosperma and Oncocalamus are endemic to Africa. Calamus deerratus is a
relative of the Asian rattans with a broad distribution and a highly variable growth form.
These climbing palms are sources of a large number of subsistence products for local
communities as well as the support of a thriving commercial trade in rattan canes and other
Tropical Palms 149
rattan products. In Central Africa alone, commercial rattans products annually are estimated
to be worth about US$10 million (Sunderland et al., 2008).
Table 7-2 Non-threatened African Palms with Reported Uses

Name Names
Borassus ron, palmyra African savannas multiple products

aethiopum1
Calamus skote, erogbo, ki tia across Africa: canes used for

deeratus Senegal to Tanzania weaving, furniture
Elaeis African oil palm humid parts of Africa multiple subsistence

guineensis products
Eremospatha: West Africa, Congo whole canes for

cabrae, Basin E to Tanzania furniture frames, cane
cuspidata, osono bridges; cane split to
haullevilleana, make baskets, rope;
hookeri, ndera leaf sheath base as
macrocarpa, chewing stick
wendlandiana pongbo
epa-emele
penden
eghounka
Hyphaene spp. doum palm, lala, arid parts of Africa multiple products
mokola
Laccosperma: SE Nigeria and whole canes used for

robustum, Cameroon, S to furniture & basket
eka Cabinda and W into frames; split canes for
secundiflorum Congo Basin basketry
ohwara
Oncocalamus mitou S Cameroon to Gabon split canes for

manii basketry
150 Tropical Palms

Name Names
Phoenix Senegal date African savannas multiple products (see

reclinata Table 9-27,
wild date composition of palm
wine)
Raphia spp. raffia humid parts of Africa multiple products
Note:
1. Probably includes recently-described Borassus akeasii which has an overlapping distribution in West Africa (Bayton &
Ouédraogo, 2009)
Sources: Morakinyo, 1995; Sunderland, 2004, 2007; Tuley, 1995
Since the year 2000, there has been a surge of interest in African rattans, with support from
CARPE (Central African Regional Programme for the Environment) and INBAR
(International Network for Bamboo and Rattan) in Beijing. A technical meeting was held in
2000 which addressed management strategies, sustainability, cultivation, processing and
technology transfer from Asia to Africa. A proceeding was prepared by Sunderland and
Profizi (2002).
The doum palm genus Hyphaene is poorly known in Africa where it chiefly occurs. Its habitat
includes arid and semiarid areas and river valleys. Although as many as 26 species have been
named in Africa, Dransfield et al. (2008) and Tuley (1995) propose the recognition of six
species. The most pragmatic approach to take with respect to doum palms and their products
is to promote utilization of local palm populations on a sustainable basis. Doum palms are
multipurpose in nature; products include the edible mesocarp of the fruit in most species,
leaves for thatch and fiber, wood and palm wine derived from tapping the trunk. This latter
practice is destructive as the individual trees are killed. The data in Table 2-3 on the use of H.
petersiana by local people in Namibia represent a good example of the potential breadth of
uses.
Hyphaene products and patterns of utilization are fairly well documented. Täckholm and Drar
(1973) provide information from ancient and modern Egypt; Hoebeke (1989) studied the palm
and its uses in Kenya (see Table 9-21); Cunningham (1990a,b) investigated palm wine
production in southern Africa; Konstant et al. (1995) and Sullivan et al. (1995) looked at
Hyphaene utilization and the impact on palm populations in Namibia; and Cunningham and
Milton (1987) did a study of basket making using mokola palm leaf fiber (H. petersiana) in
Botswana.
Utilization of H. compressa leaves in a number of ways in Kenya was documented by

Amwatta (2004). A study of the intensive harvesting of young leaves of H. thebaica in Niger
revealed that the trees survived but that their development changed from a normal branching
tree form into a subterranean-creeping habit which transforms palm stands into a dense
canopy of leaves emerging from the underground root system. This dwarfing process also has
Tropical Palms 151
been described as taking place with the mazari palm (Nannorrhops ritchiana) in Pakistan
(Kahn and Luxereau, 2008). It is not know if this leaf harvesting practice is sustainable.
The genus Raphia is better known scientifically than Hyphaene, because of research by
Otedoh (1982), who described 18 African species of this mostly swamp-dwelling palm.
Currently, 20 species are recognized (Dransfield et al., 2008). Although the taxonomy of this
genus has been studied, information about the in situ conservation status of the various
species is very sparse. Like Hyphaene, the Raphia palms provide many subsistence products.
Raphia hookeri and R. palma-pinus also are sources of leaf base fiber used commercially to
make stiff brushes. In commerce it is known as African bass or African piassava (Tuley,
1994). Raphia palms also are excellent sources of leaf stalks for construction purposes, the
very large leaves make good roofing material, the fruit mesocarp yields edible oil and in many
of the species the inflorescence is tapped for palm wine.
The ron palm (Borassus aethiopum and B. akeasi) and the Senegal date palm (Phoenix
reclinata) both occur in large numbers in the African savannas and represent important local
sources of subsistence products. The ron palm produces a single stem whereas the Senegal
date is a suckering species and forms thickets of many stems. A study by Sambou et al.
(1992) on Borassus in Senegal described the uses listed in Table 7-3. Additional information
may be found in a study which considered the palm over a wide area of West Africa as well as
Asia (GRET, 1987).
Table 7-3 Borassus aethiopum1 Uses in Senegal
1. Uses based on structural properties
stem: timber, boards
leaves: roofs, baskets, mats, rugs, furniture
petiole: fences, fiber
2. Uses based on nutritional and medicinal properties
food: endosperm, tuber (cotyledonary haustorium), palm heart, mesocarp, sap (wine) tapped from stem
medicinal: roots, male rachillae, stamens, mesocarp, seedling (hypocotyl), sap (wine) tapped from stem
Note:
1. Probably includes recently-described Borassus akeasii which has an overlapping distribution in Senegal (Bayton &
Ouédraogo, 2009)
Source: Sambou et al. (1992)
152 Tropical Palms
Sambou et al. (1992) pointed out that in countries such as Senegal, Borassus aethiopum is "a
victim of its own high utilitarian value;" overexploitation is a serious threat and natural
populations are being reduced by drought and agriculture. They argue that strict management
practices should be adopted and enforced to sustain the palm populations for the benefit of
local people.
Phoenix reclinata has similar but slightly more limited uses than the ron palm. The fruit is
edible but smaller and inferior to the domesticated date. Both the inflorescence and stem are
tapped for palm wine, and the leaves, petioles and trunk have various uses. Because of its
suckering growth habit, the Senegal date palm is not threatened by exploitation for its
products.
The African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), as both its common name and specific epithet
imply, is native to West Africa and the Congo Basin. Although it has been the object in the
20th century of one of the most successful crop improvement efforts of any cultivated palm,
extensive stands of wild or semiwild African oil palms continue to exist throughout its native
range. Mesocarp and endosperm oils are major subsistence products; in addition, the palm
inflorescences are tapped for palm wine6, leaves are employed in thatching and to make
baskets and mats and the petioles and wood serve as construction materials. Under these
conditions, the African oil palm is a classic multipurpose species, unlike the plantation
counterpart which is focused only on palm oil and palm kernel oil. In recent years, interest
has broadened to more efficient use of Elaeis guineensis as a multipurpose subsistence tree
within its native area. Beye and Eychenne (1991) published an excellent study of the African
oil palm which exemplifies its "tree of life" status in the Casamance of Senegal, an approach
worthy of consideration elsewhere in Africa.
Palm utilization is detailed in the humid forest zone of West Africa by Falconer and Koppell
(1990). Three references abstracted in the foregoing source merit mention here. Blanc-
Pamard (1980) studied utilization patterns of, Borassus aethiopum, Elaeis guineensis and
Phoenix reclinata among the Baoulé people in Ivory Coast; Coleman (1983) did a
sociological study of the rattan enterprises in the Bassam area of Ivory Coast; and Shiembo
(1986) researched minor forest products in Cameroon, which included Raphia spp. and three
species of rattan.
A few introduced, naturalized or domesticated economic palms figure in the forest products of
Africa. Coconuts are grown commercially from Senegal to Equatorial Guinea in West Africa,
and from Somalia to Mozambique in East Africa (Kullaya, 1994). The nipa palm (Nypa
fruticans) was introduced early in the 20th century and has become naturalized in coastal
Nigeria and Cameroon. Because it is not as well known to local peoples, it represents an
underutilized palm resource, compared to the numerous uses it has in its native areas in Asia.
Finally, mention needs to be made of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), which is an
important oasis species and fruit crop in the countries of North Africa, and increasingly in
Sub-Saharan and Southern Africa where new plantings have been established using named
varieties.
6
See Okereke (1982) for a description of traditional palm wine practices
Tropical Palms 153
Figure 7-1 Raffia palm (Raphia farinifera) cultivated in a botanic garden.

Figure 7-2 Doum palm (Hyphaene sp.) as an ornamental tree in Burkina Faso.
Photograph by Dennis Johnson
154 Tropical Palms
Figure 7-3 Subspontaneous African oil palm stand (Elaeis guineensis). Guinea-Bissau,
West Africa. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Figure 7-4 African fan palms (Borassus aethiopum) in a village in Guinea-Bissau, West
Africa. Photograph by Dennis Johnson.
Tropical Palms 155
Madagascar
This large island off the east coast of Africa has the most remarkable palm flora in the world.
Madagascar currently is believed to have about 166 palm species in 14 genera (Dransfield and
Beentje, 1995; Dransfield et al., 2006; Dransfield et al., 2008; Rakotoarinivo et al., 2007).
Only two of these species are also found in mainland Africa, giving Madagascar a palm
species endemism rate of 99 percent.
In addition to its prominence as the homeland of so many endemic palm species, Madagascar
has the dubious distinction of being an area of extremely high deforestation and
environmental degradation. Because of their uniqueness, certain Madagascar palms also are
overexploited for seed and small plants are dug from the wild for the nursery trade. As a
result of the combination of these factors, nearly all of the native palms are threatened with
extinction or severe reductions in wild populations.
In Madagascar, promoting the development of forest products derived from wild palm
populations must be approached with great caution. On the basis of current ethnobotanical
data, about 60 palm species are used in some way by local people.
Threatened Madagascar Palms
Table 7-4 gives the names of 50 utilized palms which are known to be under threat. Local
palm names given in Table 7-4 and Table 7-5 must be used with care because they are often
misleading. The same name may be applied to more than one described species or the same
described species may have several common names over its geographic range. Making a link
between a local name and a scientific name should always be verified with additional
information.
156 Tropical Palms
Table 7-4 Threatened Madagascar Palms with Reported Uses*
Scientific Name Selected Local Names Distribution1 Products/uses

Beccariophoenix madagascariensis manarano, manara, maroala, sikomba Mantady & SW Madagascar stem wood for house construction; edible
(monotypic) palm heart; young leaflets to make hats
dimaka, marandravina, befelatanana Western Madagascar edible palm heart; edible stem starch;
Borassus madagascariensis
hollowed-out stems for containers; fruits
fermented for alcohol; edible shoots of
germinating seedlings
Dypsis ampasindavae lavaboka Nosy Be and Manongarivo Mts. edible palm heart; stems for house
construction
D. andrianatonga tsiriki andrianatonga Manongarivo & Marojejy Massif stem wood for house walls; leaf decoction as
medicine
D. ankaizinensis Mt. Tsaratanana edible palm heart
laboka, hovatra, lavaboka
D. basilonga madiovozona Vatovavy edible palm heart

D. canaliculata lopaka, monimony Manonogarivo area & Ampasimanolotra edible palm heart
D. ceracea lafaza Marojejy & Betampona areas leaves for thatching & brooms
D. confusa tsikara, tsimikara Masoala, Mananara & Betampona stems to make blow-pipes
D. crinita vonitra NW & NE Madagascar leaves for thatching; leaf base fiber to make
palm oil filter; heartwood used in medicine
D. decaryi laafa S Madagascar leaves for thatching; edible fruit; seeds
exported for horticultural use
D. decipiens betefaka, manambe, sihara leibe Central Madagascar, between Anazobe & edible palm heart; leaves used in erosion
Fianarantsoa control
Tropical Palms 157

D. hiarakae sinkiara, tsirika Manongarivo, Masoala & Mananara stems to make blow-pipes
Avaratra
D. hovomantsina hovornantsina Maroantsetra & Mananara edible palm heart
D. ligulata (possibly extinct) none recorded NW Madagascar edible palm heart
D. madagascariensis hirihiry, kizohazo, farihazo, NW & W Madagascar stem wood for floor boards; edible palm
madiovozona, kindro heart: edible fruit
D. mahia none recorded Manombo stems used to make blow-pipes
D. malcomberi rahosy,vakaka Andohahela stem wood for house walls; edible palm heart
D. mananjarensis laafa, lakatra, ovodaafa East coast between Vatomandry & stem wood for house planks; edible palm
Tolanaro heart: rachis fiber
D. nauseosa rahoma, mangidibe, laafa Fianarantsoa stem wood for roofing beams & floor planks
D. nossibensis NW Madagascar, Lokobe forest stem wood for construction
D. oreophila kindro, lafaza, fitsiriky Tsaratanana, Marojejy, near Maroantsetra edible palm heart; hollowed-out stem to make
& Mandritsara blowpipe
D. perrieri besofina, menamosona, kase Marojejy, Masoala & Mananara Avaratra edible palm heart; leaf sheath tomentum for
mattress stuffing
D. pilulifera ovomamy, lavaboko, Sambirano region, Marojejy & Mantady edible palm heart; leaves for thatch and
hozatanana weaving
D. prestoniana tavilo, babovavy, tavilo Midongy area, SE coast edible palm heart
D. saintelucei none recorded extreme SE of Madagascar destructively used to make lobster pots
D. scandens olokoloka Ifanadian area in NE stems split to make fish traps, bird cages, hats
D. schatzii tsinkiara E Madagascar: Betarnpona stems formerly used to make blowpipes
158 Tropical Palms

D. thermarum fanikara R Ranomafana National Park stems split to make crayfish traps
D. thiryana tsinkiara, Marojejy & Masoala to Anosibe-an- Ala leaves for thaching?
sinkarambolavo maroampototra,
taokonampotatra
D. tokoravina Tokoravina Maroantstera & Mananara edible palm heart; leaves for weaving
D. tsaralananensis kindro Mt. Tsaratanana edible palm heart
D. tsaravoasira tsaravoasira, hovotravavy, lavaboko Marojejy, Maroantsetra & Mananara edible palm heart
D. utilis vonitra, vonitrandrano E Madagascar edible palm heart; edible fruit
Marojejya insignis menamoso, beondroka, maroalavehivavy, E Coast, Marojejy to Andohahela edible palm heart; leaves for thatching
betefoka, besofina, hovotralanana,
mandanzezika fohitanana
Masoala kona kona, kogne Ifanadiana area leaf thought to have magical properties
M. madagascariensis kase, hovotralanana, mandanozezikaoj Morojejy, Masoala & Mananara leaves for thatching; edible palm heart
Orania longisquama sindro, anivona, ovobolafotsy, vakapasy NW & E Madagascar stem wood for house wall planks
O. trispatha sindro, sindroa, anivo E Madagascar stem wood for house construction
Ravenea albicans hozatsiketra NE Madagascar edible palm heart; leaves for weaving
R. dransfieldii anivo, ovotsarorona, lakatra, lakabolavo Eastern Madagascar; between Marojejy edible palm heart; leaves for hat making
Mts. & Ifanadiana
R. julietiae sindro madiniky, saroroira, vakapasy, E Madagascar, between Mananara stem wood for construction; hollowed out
anive. anivona Avaratra & Vangaindrano stems for irrigation pipes
R. lakatra lakatra, tsilanitafika, manarana E Madagascar, between Andasibe & leaf fiber for hat making; edible palm heart;
Vargaindrano stem for irrigation pipes
R. madagaseariensis anivo, anivokely, anivona, tovovoka Central & E Madagascar stem wood for house wall & floor planks
Tropical Palms 159

R. .rivularis gora, bakaly, vakaka, malio S Central Madagascar, Mangoky & seed collected for export
Onilahy rivers
R.. robustior hovotravavy, manara, tanave, retanan, NW, E & SE Madagascar stem wood for construction & furniture;
monimony, loharanga, anivona. laafa, leaves for thatching & weaving; edible palm
anivo, lakabolavo, bobokaomby, vakabe, heart; stem pith eaten.
vakaboloka
R. sambiranensis anivo, anivona, mafabely, soindro, NW,W&E Madagascar stem wood for floor planks; edible palm heart
ramangaisina edible fruit; stems for irrigation pipes; pith
for rice trays
R. xerophila ahaza, anivo, anivona S Madagascar, between Ampanihy & leaf fiber for hats & baskets
Ampingaratra Mts
Satranala decussilvae (monotypic) satranabe Mananara Biosphere Reserve leaves for thatch
Voanioala gerardii (monotypic) voanioala Masoala Peninsula edible palm heart
Notes:
1. All are endemic to Madagascar
Sources: Byg & Balslev, 2003; Dransfield & Beentje, 1995; Dransfield et al., 2006; Walker & Dorr, 1998.
160 Tropical Palms
Discussion
Palm hearts and stem wood represent the most prevalent reported palm usages involving
threatened palms, and the two frequently go hand-in-hand. When a palm is felled for its stem
wood, the heart, if edible, is also extracted and eaten. The reported cutting of palms for stem
wood or palm heart is particularly alarming since about three-fourths of the involved species
are single-stemmed.
Very little empirical data exist on how individual threatened palm species could be
sustainably managed. One welcome exception is a study on conservation and in situ
management of Dypsis decaryi. It recommends that annual leaf harvesting be no more than
about 25 percent of the leaves per tree per year and that seed collection be limited to well
under 95 percent of the annual crop to assure natural regeneration (Ratsirarson et al., 1996).
Non-threatened Madagascar Palms
A small number of native palms currently occur in sufficient populations to consider

promotion of greater use of their products. Ten such species are listed in Table 7-5.
Madagascar’s two non-endemic palms, Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata, are
included in the table.
Table 7-5 Non-threatened Madagascar Palms with Reported Uses
Scientific Local Names Distribution Products/Uses

Name
Bismarckia satra, strabe, N & W Madagascar flattened trunk for

nobilis satrana, satranabe, (endemic) construction; leaves for
satrapotsy thatch & basketry; pith for
bitter sago; ornamental tree
Dypsis farihazo, tongalo N, Central & E edible palm heart; edible

baronii Madagascar fruit; ornamental tree
(endemic)
D. fibrosa vonitra, MW & E leaves for thatching;

vonitrambohitra, Madagascar inflorescence as
ravimbontro (endemic) brushes/brooms; mattress
stuffing; edible palm heart;
D. menavozona, sira, NW, NE & E pith formerly used to make

lastelliana ravintsira Madagascar salt; inedible palm heart said
(endemic) to be poisonous
D. lutescens rehazo, lafahazo, E coast (endemic) ornamental tree; probably

lafaza other uses
D. nodifera ovana, bedoda, NW, E & SE hollowed out stems as

sincaré, tsirika, Madagascar blowpipes
tsingovatra (endemic)
Tropical Palms 161
Scientific Local Names Distribution Products/Uses

Name
D. tsingovatra, Widespread in humid hollowed out stems as

pinnatifrons tsingovatrovatra, forest (endemic) blowpipes; house beams;
ovatsiketry, edible palm heart; stem or
ambolo, hova, inflorescence for brooms
tsobolo
Hyphaene satrana, sata W Madagascar (non- leaf fiber for basketry, hats,
coriacea endemic) rope; edible palm heart;
palm wine (see Table 9-19
for composition)
Phoenix dara, taratra, NW & NE leaflets for basketry; edible

reclinata taratsy Madagascar; isolated fruit
stands in SW (non-
endemic)
Raphia rafia widespread in eastern leaf fiber for weaving;

farinifera Madagascar petioles for hut construction;
(wild and edible fruits; edible palm
cultivated) heart
Sources: See Table 7-4.
Discussion
Although the palms in Table 7-5 have development potential for forest products, there are
certain factors with respect to individual products which must be taken into account. Products
requiring the felling of a palm for sago, palm heart, construction wood or other stem uses,
results in destruction of the individual tree. If the involved palm species is single-stemmed,
this destroys seed sources and makes regeneration difficult and uncertain; such practices are
inherently unsustainable. Clustering palms, on the other hand, can be harvested for such
products and possess the potential to be managed on a sustainable basis.
Three introduced species of palms in Madagascar are either under cultivation or have become
naturalized. These are the coconut, Cocos nucifera, African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis; and
raffia palm, Raphia farinifera. The raffia and coconut palms are sources of numerous food
and nonfood items for local people. In sharp contrast to its wide utility on the African
Mainland, the African oil palm is of limited importance in Madagascar.
Seychelles, Mascarene Islands and Comoro Islands
These three small island groups of the western Indian Ocean are comparable to Madagascar in
terms of native palm populations. The palm flora of each island group is unique with
exceedingly high rates of palm endemism; in the Seychelles all six of the native palms are
endemic. Threats to the palm populations are as great as in Madagascar, owing to human
population pressures, exotic animal introductions and agriculture which have led to significant
162 Tropical Palms
habitat destruction. All the native palms in these islands are classified as threatened and
subject to conservation measures. There should be no promotion of non-wood forest products
from natural palm populations. Fortunately, coconut palms are naturalized in the islands and
serve as a source of products for local people.
Tropical Palms 163
8 PALMS WITH DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

To assess the potential for development of economic palm species it is worthwhile to consider
whether individual species currently have either greater domestication potential or
management potential. These two categories are established for analytical purposes; they are
not mutually exclusive. In fact, in some cases palm management is a useful initial step toward
palm domestication.
Domestication potential implies that the products of a palm have enough promise of
becoming commercialized at a scale sufficient to justify the costly and lengthy effort
involved. Certainly that was and is the case of the five fully domesticated palms (arecanut,
coconut, date, African oil palm and pejibaye) discussed in Chapter 2.
The chief obstacle to palm domestication is that many years are required to select and breed a
superior palm for a particular product or set of products. The age of sexual maturity among
the palms varies considerably from species to species, ranging from about 3-40 years. An
essential part of any new palm domestication effort would include detailed studies of the
reproductive biology of the candidate species, because so little is known about this aspect of
wild palms. A domestication program would also need to have a clear definition of its
objectives in terms of the chief commodities to be produced. If the candidate palm for
domestication is a multipurpose species, there must be consideration of primary as well as
secondary products. Secondary products can play an important role in providing employment
and income to local people.
Coradin and Lleras (1988) reviewed research directed at domestication of New World palms
with economic potential. The authors also presented a model of how to characterize native
populations in order to design successful domestication or management strategies. The model
is applicable to palms in Asia and Africa.
Breeding and domesticating a palm is one thing, propagating an improved palm quite another
because of the time necessary to the initiation of flowering and fruiting. Any palm which can
be vegetatively propagated, such as most species in the genus Phoenix, has a major natural
advantage over palms which can only be grown from seed. However, three of the five
domesticated palms mentioned in the previous paragraph are seed propagated, i.e. arecanut,
coconut and African oil palm. Tissue culture is a technological alternative to seed propagation
but research on palms has not yet solved all of the problems that would permit large-scale
reproduction by this means at a reasonable cost.
Management potential is possessed by many more palm species because costs are
significantly lower, the time required is much shorter and production continues as
management practices are adopted. In addition to wild species, also included in this category
are palms which are often referred to as being "semi-domesticated." This term implies that
selection of wild seed or suckers for informal cultivation has taken place, but no actual
breeding program undertaken. Semi-domesticated species in most cases are very promising
candidates for a formal domestication effort.
164 Tropical Palms
Promising Palms
Reviewing the material presented within this report, a global list of palms with development
potential was compiled. Table 8-1 presents information on 18 palms; the list is not exhaustive.
As can be seen, most often a palm is represented by a single species, but in some instances it
is represented by two species, or all or most species in a genus. This is simply a reflection of
the differing circumstances from one palm to another. The palms in Table 8-1 were selected
without regard for their native areas. Nevertheless, the palms included do reflect the Asian
region as being foremost in economic species, with Latin America a strong second and Africa
a distant third.
Discussion
The candidate palms in Table 8-1 are annotated as to whether they have more management or
domestication potential. The approach taken with respect to realizing the development
potential of individual palms will be determined to a significant degree by the magnitude of
the economic potential of the product or products to be realized. Whether the option chosen is
domestication or management, these palms should be developed within a broad context to
benefit local people as well as financial investors.
Palm domestication highlights the importance of wild genetic resources in selecting genetic
material for an initial breeding and improvement effort. Conservation of wild germplasm has
equal value in maintaining and further improving domesticated palms. The African oil palm is
a perfect example.
Comparing the palms in Table 8-1 reveals that sap and seed oil are major products common to
several species. From a practical standpoint, an expensive and lengthy domestication program
cannot be mounted for each palm. Instead, it will be necessary to evaluate the sap-producing
palms and select one of them for possible domestication; the species not selected should be
considered for management improvement. A similar approach could be used for seed oil and
other major products.
The ideal mechanism for deciding which palms should be given priority for domestication or
management development would be to convene a technical panel of palm specialists to make
recommendations.
A key factor in palm development is that it should be done so that management and
domestication efforts are not narrowly focused on individual species. There is much to be
gained from a palm development program which consists of management and domestication
efforts involving several palms in different countries. Major benefits would include an
integrated research strategy, sharing of results from several locations on different palm
species, as well as the advantage of sharing of general costs.
Tropical Palms 165
Table 8-1 Candidate Palms for Domestication or Management

Scientific Names Native Distribution and Habitat Major Products. Minor Products Comments and Selected
Common Names References
Arenga pinnata S. & SE Asia tropical rain forest sap to make sugar. wine, alcohol, vinegar, leaf sheath fiber; edible heart; solitary, terminal flowering
sugar palm into dry forest, to 1,200 m sap yield 3-6 liters/tree/day, starch from etc feather palm; traditional
stem, yield 75 kg/tree multipurpose palm with a
history of cultivation; strong
candidate for domestication;
agroforestry potential: Miller
1964; Mogea et al., 1991;
Sastra et al., 2006.
Attalea funifera S. America: Atlantic Forest, Brazil leaf base fiber leaves for thatching solitary feather palm; narrow
piassava tropical rain forest, coastal areas range of products; over-
exploitation of natural stands,
experimental planting;
management could stabilize
fiber supplies& sustain markets;
Monteiro 2009; Voeks, 1988
Attalea speciosa S. America tropical rain forest, edible oil, yield 40 kg/tree/yr, potential edible mesocarp pulp: leaves for solitary feather palm;
babaçu upland sites biofuel thatching; shells to make multipurpose palm with many
charcoal; press cake for commercial & subsistence
livestock feed products; some management
already being done, could be
improved & domesticated if
processing of fruits adopted;
good agroforestry potential;
Anderson et al., 1991
Borassus flabellifer, S. & SE. Asia; Africa tropical dry sap to make sugar, wine, alcohol, vinegar, leaf stalk fiber; leaves for solitary fan palms;
B. aethiopum & forest into savanna, to 750 m. sap yield 11-20 liters/ tree/day thatching & basketry; edible multipurpose species of major
B. akeasii palmyra, immature fruit utility to local peoples: incipient
ron management already in practice
in S. & SE. Asia: candidate for
domestication, agroforestry ;
Davis & Johnson,1987; GRET,
1987; Khieu, 1996
166 Tropical Palms
Calamus spp. rattan S. & SE. Asia tropical rain forest to canes for furniture making, yield to 6 edible fruit & heart in some spp. climbing solitary or suckering
1,000 m; 1 sp. In Africa t/ha feather palms; several under
study for cultivation, cane
industry-driven research &
development as well as
coordination by INBAR;
Dransfield & Manokaran,
1993; Dransfield et al., 2002;
Wan Razali et al., 1992.
Caryota urens toddy S. & SE. Asia tropical rain forest to sap to make sugar, wine, alcohol, leaf sheath fiber; edible heart; solitary, terminal flowering
palm 1,500 m vinegar, sap yield 20-27 liters/ tree/day; etc. feather palm; numerous
starch from stem, yield 100-150 kg/tree products; informal cultivation
practiced; domestication
potential in agroforestry
systems; De Zoysa 1992
Chamaedorea spp Mexico, C. America, N. South seed for commercial growing of none known solitary or suckering feather
(ornamental spp.). America understory of tropical rain ornamental plants & foliage for cut palms; a few major ornamental
forest to 3,000 in. flower arrangements spp. under cultivation for seed
in Belize, management
potential of wild palms for cut
foliage; Bridgewater et al.,
2006. Hodel, 1992
Chamaedorea Mexico, C. America, N. South edible immature male inflorescence edible palm heart; leaves fed to solitary (sometimes suckering)
tepejilote pacaya America tropical rain forest to 1,600 livestock feather palm already under
in. informal cultivation, could be
managed for pacaya & palm
heart; agroforestry potential;
Castillo Mont et al ., 1994
Tropical Palms 167
Corypha S. & SE. Asia tropical rain forest to sap to make sugar. wine alcohol, vinegar, leaves for thatching & weaving solitary, terminal flowering fan
umbraculifera 600 m. sap yield 20 liters/tree/day for 3-4 months various products, edible heart; palm multipurpose palm with
C. utan for C. utan; starch from stem petiole to etc. good mix of commercial &
talipot buri make hats; leaf midrib used to make subsistence products; strong
furniture candidate for management or
domestication, also agroforestry
potential; Madulid, 1991a
Euterpe oleracea S America commercial palm heart production, yield edible fruit mesocarp, leaves for suckering(E. oleracea) solitary
E. edulis Tropical rain forest, açaí in up to 1 kg/tree; juice being promoted as weaving & thatching (E. edulis) feather palms; açaí
açaí, juçara seasonally flooded lowland sites; health drink rich in antioxidants has excellent management
juçara in upland sites to 1,000 m. potential as palm heart source,
juçara of use for future breeding
program for domestication;
Anderson, 1988; Schauss, 2006.
Hyphaene spp Africa edible fruit; sap for wine, alcohol leaves for thatching & weaving solitary branched fan palm;
doum Semi-deserts/deserts, to 600 m. management of wild stands
Few spp. in Arabia and W. India. would provide sustainable
sources of commercial &
subsistence products in dry
areas; Kahn & Luxereau, 2008;
Tuley 1995
Mauritia flexuosa S. America tropical rain forest, edible fruit mesocarp; edible oil; starch leaf fiber for making rope trunk solitary feather palm; extensive
moriche seasonally flooded lowland sites from trunk, yield to 60 kg/tree for wood; petiole for "cork" dense stands have management
potential for multiple products;
Manzi & Coomes, 2009;
Padoch, 1988
168 Tropical Palms
Scientific Names Native Distribution and Major Products. Minor Products Comments and Selected
Common Names Habitat References
Metroxylon sagu sago SE. Asia tropical rain forest, starch from stem, yield 300 kg/tree leaves for thatching suckering feather palm; palm is
fresh water swamps cultivated & managed successfully;
research progressing well; Ellen,
2004; Flach, 1997; Flach &
Schuiling, 1989; Schuiling, 2009
Nypa fruticans S. & SE Asia tropical rain forest, sap for sugar, alcohol, sugar yield edible fruit; powdered suckering feather palm; incipient
nipa brackish water swamps of tidal 3,000kg/ha/year; leaves for thatching (atap) dried leaves studied as management in practice, could
rivers corrosion inhibitor of benefit from improved practices &
zinc broader utilization of products,
especially in Papua, New Guinea;
Hamilton & Murphy, 1988;
Orubite-Okorosaye & Oforka, 2004
Oenocarpus bataua S. America tropical rain forest, edible oil, fruit stem wood. leaves for suckering feather palm: high quality
batauá upland sites to 1,000 In. thatching & weaving; seed oil gives this palm potential for
possible biofuel domestication, also good
agroforestry species; Balick, 1988
Phoenix sylvestris S. Asia sap for sugar, wine, sugar yield 40 leaves for weaving & to solitary feather palm; already under
wild date tropical rain forest to dry forest, kg/tree/year; edible fruit make brooms; stem management & informal cultivation;
to 1,500 m wood for fuel; etc. good multipurpose palm with
domestication potential within
agroforestry systems; Davis 1972;
Chowdhury et al., 2008
Tropical Palms 169
Scientific Names Native Distribution and Habitat Major Products. Minor Products Comments and Selected References
Common Names
Raphia spp West Africa commercial leaf base fiber petioles as poles, leaves suckering (most spp.) terminal
raffia. tropical rain forest, seasonally (African bass fiber) for brushes & brooms; for thatching & weaving; flowering feather palm; R. hookeri &
flooded lowland sites sap for wine. alcohol etc- R. palma-pinus are main brush fiber
sources. also tapped for sap; one or
more spp could be managed for
multiple products; Tuley, 1995
Salacca zalacca SE Asia edible fruit (fresh, canned, pickled) leaves for thatching & suckering feather palm fruit
salak understory of tropical rain weaving; antioxidants in production from wild. semi-wild &
forest, to 300 m. fruit have potential health cultivated plants; more than a dozen
benefits local variety names; strong
candidate for domestication using
germplasm of other promising sp.
such as S. wallichiana; Aralas et al.,
2009; Ashari, 2002; Yaacob &
Subhadrabandhu, 1995
Source: In addition to selected references cited, compiled from information provided elsewhere in this report.
170 Tropical Palms
Coordination of Activities
Informal and formal information networks exist for research and development of the five
domesticated palms (African oil palm, arecanut, coconut, date and pejibaye); as well as for the
sago palm and rattans. In some cases formal organizations exist such as the International
Network for Bamboo and Rattan; in other instances information networking is achieved
through technical conferences and journals, as with the African oil palm.
Another important source of information on specific palm products comes from looking at a
particular product from an industrial point of view. An excellent example is the palm sugar
workshop organized by the Asia Regional Cookstove Program and held in Indonesia in 1994
(ARECOP, 1994). Participants from six Asian countries shared experiences and discussed
ways in which small scale industries could be promoted. These types of industrial activities
need to be linked to enhancing production through management and domestication.
An information networking mechanism is needed for all of the economic palms not yet
covered in some way. This would serve to coordinate and bolster efforts to realize their full
development potential. There is considerable benefit to be derived from an exchange of ideas
and examples from region to region (Johnson, 1992).
The IUCN, Species Survival Commission, Palm Specialist Group represents a means to fulfill
this networking need. The Palm Specialist Group has published its Action Plan (Johnson,
1996) which is aimed at both palm conservation and utilization. The Group is headquartered
at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which possesses palm library and herbarium resources
that can answer any question. With an outside source of funding, the Palm Specialist Group
could take on the role of coordinating palm development activities in an efficient manner. In
support of such an effort, there should also be formed a sub-network of institutions (other
botanic gardens or research organizations) located in the Asia, Pacific, Latin America and
Africa regions, to serve as local points of contact.
Tropical Palms 171
9 COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED PALM

PRODUCTS
This compilation of 28 tables has been assembled to provide technical information on the
array of food and industrial products derived from palms. Included is information on
domesticated and wild palms; palm products are somewhat similar so that in the absence of
any data for a wild palm product some inferences can be made from closely-related
domesticated species. The tables are arranged in alphabetical order by scientific name.
Table 9-1 Chemical Constituents of Arecanut, Areca catechu
Constituents1 Green Nut Ripe Nut

(range) (range)
Moisture content (%) 69.4-74.1 38.9-56.7
Total water extractives (%) 32.9-56.5 23.3-29.9
Polyphenols (%) 17.2-29.8 11.1-17.8
Arecoline (extraction method) (%) 0.11-0.14 0.12-0.24
Fat (%) 8.1-12.0 0.12-0.24
Crude fiber (%) 8.2-9.8 11.4-15.4
Total polysaccharides (%) 17.3-23.0 17.8-25.7
Crude protein (%) 6.7-9.4 6.2-7.5
Ash (%) 1.2-2.5 1.1-1.5
Note:
1.Constituents expressed as percentage values calculated as dry basis
(except moisture).
Source: Bavappa et al., 1982.
172 Tropical Palms
Table 9-2 Nutritional Composition of Pejibaye Fruit Mesocarp Pulp,

Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes (per 100 g)
Water (%) 56 Iron (mg) 2.76
Calories 194 Sodium (mg) -
Protein (%) 3.01 Ascorbic Potassium (mg) -
Fat (%) 6.14 Carotene (mg) 1.28
Carbohydrate (%) 33.05 Thiamine (mg) 0.030
Fiber (%) 1.02 Acid (mg) -
Ash (%) 0.88 Niacin (mg) 0.455
Calcium (mg) 44.6 Riboflavin (mg) 0.068
Phosphorus (mg) 101.84
Source: Pérez Vela, 1985.

Tropical Palms 173
Table 9-3 Nutritional Composition of Pejibaye Flour1, Bactris gasipaes var. gasipaes
(fresh basis per 100 g)
Calories 413.5 Vitamin B2 (mg) 0.3
Humidity (g) 12.0 Vitamin C (mg) 62.2
Protein (g) 3.8 Niacin (mg) 2.5
Fat (g) 8.9 Iron (mg) 6.1
Ash (g) 1.3 Calcium (mg) 10.9
Crude fiber (g) 2.1 Sodium (mg) 2.7
Carbohydrates (g)2 72.1 Potassium (mg) 162.8
Vitamin A (ug eq) 1.2 Magnesium (mg) 11.7
Vitamin B1 (g) 0.1 Zinc (mg) 2.1
Notes:
1. Values calculated from fresh pejibaye fruit mesocarp.
2. Carbohydrates by difference.
Source: Blanco Metzler et al., 1992.
174 Tropical Palms
Table 9-4 Composition of Fibers of Bactris setosa and Borassus flabellifer

(vascular bundle with sheath of sclerenchymatous fiber).
Results expressed as % of oven-dried material.
Palm/Common Cellulose Lignin Total Cell Xylan in Furfuraldehyde
name furfur- furfur- cellulose from polyuron-
aldehyde aldehyde ides
Bactris setosa 81.54 7.42 5.13 3.10 4.8 2.0
Tucum branco
Borassus 63.50* 25.01 13.80 10.16 15.7 3.6
flabellifer
Palmyra
* This figure is less reliable than other cellulose determination.
Source: Norman, 1937.

Tropical Palms 175
Table 9-5 Nutritional Composition of Palmyra Sweet Sap, Borassus flabellifer
Specific gravity 1.07 Calcium Trace
pH 6.7-6.9 Phosphorus 0.14

(g/100 cc)
Nitrogen (g/100 cc) 0.056 Iron 0.4

(g/100 cc)
Protein (g/100 cc) 0.35 Vitamin C 13.25

(mg/100 cc)
Total sugar (g/100 cc) 10.93 Vitamin B1 (IU) 3.9
Reduced sugar (g/100 cc) 0.96 Vitamin B complex Negli-

gible
Minerals as ash (g/100cc) 0.54
Source: Davis & Johnson, 1987.

176 Tropical Palms
Table 9-6 Nutritional Composition of Palmyra Sugar (Jaggery), Borassus flabellifer
Moisture Nil Phosphorus (%) 0.064
Protein (%) 0.24 Iron (mg/100 g) 30.0
Fat (%, ether extract) 0.37 Nicotinic acid (umg/100 g) 4.02
Mineral matter (%) 0.50 Vitamin B1 (umg/100 g) Nil
Carbohydrate (% by 98.89 Riboflavin (umg/100 g) 229

difference)
Carbohydrate (%, direct 98.4 Caloric value (/100 g) 398

polarimetry)
Calcium (%) 0.08
Source: Davis & Johnson, 1987

Tropical Palms 177
Table 9-7 Quantitative Anatomical Features of Calamus spp. (mean values; maximum values in parenthesis)
Calamus Hypo- Cortex V.B., diam. V.B., Meta- Fiber dimensions Silica body Diam.
Species dermis width, μm no/mm2 xylem Length mm Width Lumen 2X wall diam. μm Secretary
no. of no. of vessel μm Diam. thickness Cavity
layers layers diam. μm μm μm
Large-diameter canes
C. dransfieldii 1-2 25-28 780 (1000) 3.4 (6) 90 (320) 1.800 (2.200) 20 (28) 12 (18) 8 (10) 13 (16) (100)
C. nagbettai 1-2 30-40 798 (1000) 3 (7) 383 (465) 1.980 (2.900) 21 (32) 10 (22) 11 (22) 11 (14) 58 (59)
C. thwaitesii 1-2 35-40 760 (1000) 3.3 (9) 352 (448) 1.700 (2.900) 19 (34) 8 (20) 11 (14) 12 (15) (100)
Medium-diameter canes
C. gamblei 1-2 14 800 (1010) 5.5 (8) 294 (340) 1.680 (2.166) 20 (34) 10 (18) 10 (16) (10) (92)
C. hookerianus 1-2 25 520 (630) 10.9 245 (290) 1.560 (2.052) 22 (28) 14 (17) 8 (11) (16)
C. karnatakensis 1 12 668 (800) 5 293 (350) 1.900 (2.920) 21 (32) 10 (18) 11 (22) 10 (12) 53 (63)
C. lacciferus 1 25 670 (800) 4.6 299 (360) 2.123 (3.028) 20 (24) 11 (19) 9 (12) 10 (12) 93 (102)
C. pseudotenuis 1 8 410 (650) 14.6 200 (240) 1.811 (2.318) (26) (16) 9 (10) (10) (60)
C. stoloniferus 1-2 9 493 (680) 5.0 172 (200) 1.778 (2.640) 17 (24) 9 (16) 8 (14) 8 (9) 68 (70)
C. vattayila 1 30 700 (920) 6.0 240 (260) 1.900 (3.620) 21 (32) 15 (24) 6 (8)
Small-diameter canes
C. brandisii 1-2 6-7 380 (418) 12.0 202 (222) 1.656 (2.420) 16 (28) 9 (16) 7 (16) 7.5 (8) 44 (50)
C. lakshamanae 1-2 8 415 (540) 14.9 204 (250) 1.523 (2.260) 15 (20) 7 (16) 8 (12) m (8) 55 (60)
C. metzianus 1 12 516 (610) 11.1 280 (320) 1.670 (2.090) (30) (24) 3.6 (6) (8) (80)
C. rotang 1 8 365 14.4 220 (230) 1.921 (2.622) 16 (24) 9 (14) 7 (10) (6) (88)
C. travancoricus 1 8 310 (460) 19.5 (23) 130 (260) 1.4 (2.800) 17 (28) 7 (20) 10 7 (10) (50)
Source: Modified after Bhat, 1992.
178 Tropical Palms
Table 9-8 Nutritional Composition of Limuran Fruit, Calamus ornatus var. ornatus
(per 100 g)
Fat (%) 5.7 Carotene (ug) -
Fiber (%) 2.4 Acid (mg) 23.8
Ash (%) 2.9 Niacin (mg) 4.29
Source: Atchley, 1984.

Tropical Palms 179
Table 9-9 Nutritional Composition of Palm Inflorescence, Pacaya, Chamaedorea

tepejilote (10 g edible portion)
Energy value (cal) 45 Phosphorus (mg) 106.0
Protein (g) 4.0 Vitamin A (mcg) 5.0
Carbohydrates (g) 8.3 Thiamine (mg) 0.08
Fiber (g) 1.2 Riboflavin (mg) 0.10
Ash (g) 2.0 Niacin (mg) 0.9
Calcium (mg) 3.69 Ascorbic acid (mg) 14.0
Source: Castillo Mont et al., 1994.

180 Tropical Palms
Table 9-10 Components of Whole Coconut, Cocos nucifera (wet basis
Husk 35% Meat (endosperm) 28%
Shell 12% Water 25%
Source: Phil. Coco. Auth., 1979.

Tropical Palms 181
Table 9-11 Characteristics of Coconut Oil from Copra, Cocos nucifera (usual range)
Fat, % of part, dry basis 65-72
Characteristics of fat
Acid value 1-10
Saponification value 251-264
Iodine value 7-10
Thiocyanogen value 6.1-7.0
R-M value 6-8
Polenske value 12-18
Unsaponifiable (%) 0.15-0.6
Refr. index, np, 40o C 1.448-1.450
Sp. gr., 40o/25o 0.908-0.913
Melting point (o C) 23-26
Titer (o C) 20-24
Composition of fatty acids, wt. % of total fatty

acids
Saturated acids 0-0.8

Capric
Caprylic 5.5-9.5
Capric 4.5-9.5
Lauric 44-52
Myristic 13-19
Palmitic 7.5-10.5
Stearic 1-3
Arachidic 0-0.4
Unsaturated acids 0-1.3

Hexadecenoic
182 Tropical Palms
Oleic 5-8
Linoleic 1.5-2.5
Source: Eckey, 1954.

Tropical Palms 183
Table 9-12 Composition of Coconut Shell, Cocos nucifera (dry basis)
Lignin 36% Ash 0.6%
Cellulose 53%
Source: Ohler, 1984.

184 Tropical Palms
Table 9-13 Nutritional Composition of Coconut Water, Cocos nucifera
Water (%) 95.5 Carbohydrates (%) 4.0
Protein (%) 0.1 Calcium (%) 0.02
Fat (%) 0.1 Phosphorous (%) 0.001
Mineral matter (%) 0.4 Iron (mg/100 g) 0.5
Source: Thampan, 1975.

Tropical Palms 185
Table 9-14 Mechanical Properties of Coconut Wood, Cocos nucifera
Basic Av.MC M M Stress Impact Compre- Compresion Shear Cleavage

density o o at Bending sion perpendi- radial2 maximum3
%
E R limit parallel cular
kg/m3
of grain grain /1
propor-
tionality
mN MPa Mpa MPa N/mm2
Mpa MPa MPa
600 + 57 10857 86 52 20 49 8 10 12
12 11414 104 62 20 57 9 13 11
400- 107 6880 53 30 18 31 3 6 9

599
12 7116 63 38 10 38 3 8 8
250- 240 3100 26 13 8 15 1 4 4

399
12 3633 33 15 9 19 2 n.a. 4
Notes:
1. Compressive stress at limit of proportionality.
2. Radial and tangential values differ insignificantly.
3. Combined maximum values of radial and tangential cleavage.
Source: Killmann, 1988.
186 Tropical Palms
Table 9-15 Composition and Properties of Carnaúba Wax, Copernicia prunifera
Types1 Types Type

1,2,2A 3,4 5
Melting point - minimum (oC) 83 82.5 82.5
Flash point - minimum (oC) 310 299 299
Volatile matter (including moisture) maximum % 2 1.5 6
Insoluble impurities - maximum % 1 2 1.5
Note:
1. Carnaúba wax is graded in terms of quality on a scale
from 1-5; Type 1 is the highest quality.
Source: Johnson, 1970.
Tropical Palms 187
Table 9-16 Nutritional Composition of Buri Palm Fruit, Corypha utan (per 100 g)
Fat (%) 0.5 Carotene (ug) -
Fiber (%) 6.8 Acid (mg) 57.9
Ash (%) 2.1 Niacin (mg) 3.16

188 Tropical Palms
Table 9-17 Nutritional Composition of African Oil Palm Fruit, Elaeis guineensis (per
100 g)
Fat (%) 81.9 Carotene (ug) 50,680.6
Fiber (%) 3.8 Acid (mg) 12.5
Ash (%) 1.3 Niacin (mg) 1.81

Tropical Palms 189
Table 9-18 Nutritional Composition of African Oil Palm Oil1 Elaeis guineensis (per 100 g)
Fat (%) 99.6 Carotene (ug) 27,417.1
Fiber (%) 0.0 Acid (mg) -
Ash (%) 0.0 Niacin (mg) 0.00
Phosphorus (mg) 8.0
Note:
1. Source does not indicate whether mesocarp oil or kernel oil.
190 Tropical Palms
Table 9-19 Nutritional Composition of Palm Heart, Euterpe spp.
Component Euterpe edulis Euterpe oleracea
Protein (%) 2.42 1.72
Ash (%) 1.43 0.83
Crude fiber (%) 0.89 0.27
Fat (%) 0.33 0.08
Total sugars (%) 0.86 0.70
Reducing sugars (%) 0.49 0.30
Tannins (%) 0.06 0.06
Vitamin C (mg/100 g) 1.8 1.4
Source: Quast & Bernhardt, 1978.

Tropical Palms 191
Table 9-20 Nutritional Composition of Açaí Fruit Pulp and Skin,

Euterpe oleracea
Constituents1 Percent by dry weight based on two analyses
Lipids 33.1; 49.4
Proteins 9.3; 13.8
Ash 2.2; 5.2
Total dietary fiber 18.0; 27.3
Freeze Dried Fruit and Skin2

Total content of anthocyanins 3.1919 mg/g dry weight
Concentration of total roanthocyanidins 12.89 mg/g dry weight
Total polyunsaturated fatty acids 11.1 % of total fatty acid
Total monounsaturated fatty acid 60.2 % of total fatty acid
Total saturated fatty acid 28.7 % of total fatty acid
Total amino acid content 7.59 % of total weight
Total sterols 0.048 % of total weight
Sources:
1. Neida & Elba, 2007.
2. Schauss et al., 2006.
192 Tropical Palms
Table 9-21 Nutritional Composition of African Doum Palm Fruit Mesocarp, Hyphaene
compressa
Moisture (%) 4 Calcium (mg) 34
Energy (Kcal) 390 Phosphorus (mg) 110
Protein (g) 3.8 Thiamin (mg) 0.05
Fat (g) 0.8 Riboflavin (mg) 0.10
Carbohydrate (g) 84.1 Niacin (mg) 3.4
Ash (g) 7.3
Source: Hoebeke, 1989.

Tropical Palms 193
Table 9-22 Nutritional Composition of Palm Wine from Sap of Hyphaene coriacea (per
100 g)
Moisture (%) 98.8 Potassium (mg) 152
Ash (g) 0.4 Copper (mg) 0.04
Protein (g) 0.1 Zinc (mg) 0.01
Fat (g) - Manganese (mg) trace
Fiber (g) - Phosphorus (mg) 1.37
Carbohydrate (g) 0.7 Thiamin (mg) 0.01
Energy value 13 + 109 Riboflavin (mg) 0.01
Calcium (mg) 0.13 Niacin (mg) 0.22
Magnesium (mg) 4.18 Vitamin C (mg) 6.8
Iron (mg) 0.07 Alcohol (% v/v) 3.6
Sodium (mg) 9.88
Source: Cunningham & Wehmeyer, 1988.

194 Tropical Palms
Table 9-23 Nutritional Composition of Indian Doum Palm Mesocarp, Hyphaene

dichotoma (young fruit)
Energy Cal/100 g 406 Fiber (%) 50.07
Water (%) 0 Ash (%) 7.69
Protein (%) 9.26 Calcium (mg/100g) 268
Fat (%) 7.21 Phosphorus (mg/100g) 224
Carbohydrate (%) 75.81 Iron (mg/100g) 38.241
Note:
1. High iron value probably due to soil type.
Source: Bonde et al., 1990
Tropical Palms 195
Table 9-24 Nutritional Composition of Moriche Palm Fruit1, Mauritia flexuosa. (per
100 g)
Fat (%) 38.6 Carotene (ug) 90,992.6
Fiber (%) 41.9 Acid (mg) 95.6
Ash (%) 4.4 Niacin (mg) 2.57
Note:
1. Source does not indicate, but assumed to be mesocarp pulp.
196 Tropical Palms
Table 9-25 Nutritional Composition of Sago Starch, Metroxylon sagu (per 100 g of raw
sago)
Calories 285.0 Calcium (mg) 30.0
Water (g) 27.0 Carbohydrate (g) 71.0
Protein (g) 0.2 Iron (mg) 0.7
Fat, carotene, thiamine, negligible Fiber (g) 0.3

ascorbic acid
Source: Ruddle et al., 1978.

Tropical Palms 197
Table 9-26 Nutritional Composition of Date1 Fruit, Phoenix dactylifera

(100 g, edible portion)
Water (%) 22.5 Iron (mg) 3.0
Food energy (cal) 274 Sodium (mg) 1
Protein (g) 2.2 Potassium (mg) 648
Fat (g) 0.5 Vitamin A (IU) 50
Carbohydrate (g, total) 72.9 Thiamine (mg) 0.9
Carbohydrate (g, fiber) 2.3 Riboflavin (mg) 0.10
Ash (g) 1.9 Niacin (mg) 2.2
Calcium (mg) 59 Ascorbic acid (mg) 0
Phosphorus (mg) 63
Note:
1. Natural, domestic date; not stated but very likely the Deglet Noor variety.
Source: Watt & Merrill, 1963.
198 Tropical Palms
Table 9-27 Nutritional Composition of Palm Wine from Sap of Phoenix reclinata (per
100 g)
Moisture (%) 98.3 Potassium (mg) 157
Ash (g) 0.4 Copper (mg) 0.05
Protein (g) 0.2 Zinc (mg) 0.02
Fat (g) - Manganese (mg) trace
Fiber (g) - Phosphorus (mg) 1.74
Carbohydrate (g) 1.1 Thiamin (mg) 0.01
Energy value 22 + 109 Riboflavin (mg) 0.01
Calcium (mg) 0.45 Niacin (mg) 0.5
Magnesium (mg) 5.12 Vitamin C (mg) 6.5
Iron (mg) 0.07 Alcohol (% v/v) 3.6
Sodium (mg) 5.85
Source: Cunningham & Wehmeyer, 1988.

Tropical Palms 199
Table 9-28 Nutritional Composition of Salak Palm Fruit, Salacca zalacca (per 100 g)
Fat (%) 0.0 Carotene (ug) 0.00
Fiber (%) - Acid (mg) 9.1
Ash (%) 3.2 Niacin (mg) -
Calcium (mg) 127.3 Riboflavin (mg) -

200 Tropical Palms
Tropical Palms 201
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Tropical Palms 229
11 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES
Industry Reports
Industrialized palm products, excluding edible products, are the subject of a

series of reports being produced by ICON Group International of San Diego CA.
USA, and periodically updated. Information contained in these reports may be
relevant to certain development projects involving coconut, African oil palm,
babassu palm and rattans. Individual reports treat these commodities by
focusing on the following subjects: world outlook, global trade perspective,
world trade, regional trade, benchmark and gap analysis; other reports focus on
specific regions and specific countries. Selected current titles are as follows:
Coconut
The 2009-2114 World Outlook for Once-Refined Coconut Oil after Alkali or
Caustic Wash but before Deodorizing of Use in End Products. 199 pp.
ISBN: 0497841959.
The 2009-2114 World Outlook for Once-Refined Coconut Oil That Has Been
Only Purchased and Deodorized. 191 pp. ISBN: 0497842114.
The 2009-2014 World Outlook for Sweetened, Creamed, and Toasted Coconut.
187 pp. ISBN: 0497849534.
The World Market for Unspun Coconut Fibers Including Tow, Noils, and Waste:
A 2009 Global Trade Perspective. 72 pp. ISBN: 054635159X
Palm Oil (including babassu oil)
The 2009-2114 World Outlook for Once-Refined Palm Oil and Alkali or Caustic
Wash but before Deodorizing. 191 pp. ISBN: 0497841975.
The 2009-2114 World Outlook for Once-Refined Palm Oil That Has Been Only
Purchased and Deodorized. 191 pp. ISBN: 0497842106.
The World Market for Crude Palm Kernel or Babassu Oil: A 2009 Global Trade
Perspective. 72 pp. ISBN: 0546352790.
Rattan
The 2009-2114 World Outlook for Non-Upholstered Household Furniture Made

of Rattan, Reed, Wicker, and Willow. 197 pp. ISBN: 0497913984.
230 Tropical Palms
The World Market for Rattans: A 2009 Global Trade Perspective. 53 pp.
ISBN: 0497944685.
Note: ICON publications are available as E-books. More information can be

found at the company website: http://www.icongrouponline.com
Palm Journal and Newsletters
Boletin Pejibaye. Irregular. 1989-1996. Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad

Universitaria, San José, Costa Rica. Ceased publication. (peach palm)
BuroTrop Bulletin. Two per year. 1991-2003. French and English editions.
BuroTrop, Montpelier, France. Ceased publication. (African oil palm and
coconut)
Cocoinfo International. Two per year. 1994- Asian and Pacific Coconut
Community, Jakarta, Indonesia. http://www.apccsec.org
Cocominity Newsletter. Monthly. 1971- Asian and Pacific Coconut

Community, Jakarta, Indonesia. . http://www.apccsec.org
Cocos. Journal of the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka. One per year,
but sporadic. 1983- Lunuwila, Sri Lanka. http://cri.lk
Cord. Coconut Research and Development. Two per year. 1985-

Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, Jakarta, Indonesia.
http://www.apccsec.org
Date Palm Journal. Two per year. 1981-1987. FAO Regional Project for Palm
and Dates Research Centre, Baghdad, Iraq. Ceased publication.
INBAR Newsletter. Irregular. 1993- (electronic 2004- ) International Centre

for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, China. http://www.inbar.int
Journal of Bamboo and Rattan. Four per year. 2001- http://www.springer.com
Journal of Oil Palm Research. (formerly Elaeis) Two per year. 1989- Palm
Oil Research Institute of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
http://jopr.mpob.gov.my
Mooreana, Journal of the Palmetum. Three per year. 1991-1996. Townsville

City Council, Australia. Ceased publication.
Tropical Palms 231
Nigerian Journal of Palms and Oil Seeds. Irregular. 1953-

Nigerian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Benin City. (African oil palm and
coconut) http://www.nifor.org
Palm Enthusiast. Three per year. 1984- South African Palm Society.
http://www.sapalm.co.za
Palm Journal. Irregular. 1993- Palm Society of Southern California.

http://www.palmssc.org
Palms. (formerly Principes). Four per year. 1956- International Palm Society.
http://www.palms.org
Palms & Cycads. Four per year. 1984- Palm & Cycad Society of Australia.
http://www.pacsoa.org.au
Philippine Journal of Coconut Studies. Two per year. 1976- Philippine

Coconut Research and Development Foundation. http://www.pcrdf.org
Revista Palmas. Four per year. 1980- Federación Nacional de Cultivadores de

Palma Africana, Bogotá, Colombia. (African oil palm)
http://www.fedepalma.org
RIC Bulletin. Four per year. 1982-1993. Rattan Information Centre,

Malaysia. Ceased publication.
Sago Palm. Irregular. 1993- In Japanese and English. Tsukuba Sago Fund,
Japan. http://www.bio.mie-u.ac.jp
Palm CD Roms and Videos
General
Useful Palms of the Tropics and Their Potential. F.W. Martin & B. Brunner.
Echo, Inc., N. Ft. Myers FL. CD Rom. 1995. http://www.echonet.org
Virtual Palm Encyclopedia. J. Haynes. Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida. CD

Rom 2000. http://www.plantapalm.com
Coconut Palm
A series of six coconut video documentaries (VHS-PAL format), each of 20-25

minutes duration, are available with the following titles:
232 Tropical Palms
Wealth under the Tree of Life. Promotes advantages of mixed farming systems
including coconuts.
Cash in Shell. Overview of coconut shell products.
Coir the Versatile Fibre. Coir fiber and its products.
Nectar from the Tree of Life. Tapping coconuts for sap to produce toddy,
arrack, jaggery and coconut sugar.
On Coconut Culture. Features scientific and profitable ways of growing

coconuts.
Coconut Pests. Various types of coconut pests and control measures.
Asian & Pacific Coconut Community, Jakarta, Indonesia.

http://www.apccsec.org
Date Palm
Feast of Dates. Date palm in United Arab Emirates. Ministry of Information and
Culture, Abu Dhabi. 26 minutes in either Arabic or English. CD Rom 2005.
http://www.uaeinteract.com
Rattans
Rattan: The Hidden Resource. 18 minutes, either VHS-PAL or NTSC formats.

1989. IDRC, Canada. Rattan use, processing and research in Asia.
http://www.idrc.ca
Rattans of Borneo An Interactive Key. J. Dransfield & M. Patel.

Kew Publishing. CD Rom 2005. Covers the 150 species of rattans of Borneo.
http://www.kewbooks.com
Tropical Palms 233
12 PALM SPECIALIST DIRECTORY8
Name Postal Address Email Address Special Interests

Asmussen-Lange, Conny Institute of Agriculture & Ecology con@life.ku.dk Central and South America; Molecular
B. University of Copenhagen Systematics, Evolution, Conservation
Rolighedsjez 21
DK-1958 Frederiksberg C.,
Denmark
Bacon, Christine D. Colorado State University cbacon@rams.colostate.edu Tropical America, Pacific, Hawaii,
Campus Delivery 1878 Systematics, Evolution,
Ft. Collins CO 80523 USA Chamaedorea, Trachycarpus,
Pritchardia, Conservation
Baker, William J. Royal Botanic Gardens w.baker@kew.org SE Asia, Pacific, Madagascar,
(Chairman IUCN/SSC Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE Systematics, Evolution, Distributions,
Palm Specialist Group) UK Conservation
Balick, Michael J. New York Botanical Garden mbalick@nybg.org Palm Ethnobotany, Conservation,
Bronx NY 10458 USA Neotropics, Oceania
Balslev, Henrik Institute of Biological Sciences henrik.balslev@biology.au.dk Neotropics, Ethnobotany, Western
University of Aarhus, Bldg. 1540 Amazon, Community Ecology
Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus
Denmark
Barfod, Anders Institute of Biological Sciences anders.barfod@biology.au.dk SE Asia, Pacific, Systematics,
University of Aarhus, Bldg. 1540 Morphology, Economic Botany,
Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus Macroecology, Conservation
Denmark
Bernal, Rodrigo Instituto de Ciencias Naturales rgbernalg@gmail.com Neotropics, Systematics, Ecology,
Univ. Nacional de Colombia Use, Management, Conservation
Apartado 7495, Bogotá, Colombia
Borchsenius, Finn Institute of Biological Sciences finn.borchsenius@biology.au.dk South America Andes Region,
University of Aarhus, Bldg. 1540 Biogeography, Systematics, Evolution
Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus
Denmark
8
Based on the membership list of the 2009 IUCN/SSC Palm Specialist Group.
234 Tropical Palms

Chazdon, Robin L. Dept. of Ecology & Evol. Biology robin.chazdon@uconn.edu Costa Rica, Mesoamerica, Ecology,
University of Connecticut Secondary Forest Regeneration,
Unit 3043, 75 N. Eagleville Rd. Restoration, Conservation, Invasive
Storrs CT 06269 USA Palms
Cibrian-Jaramillo, New York Botanical Garden acibrian@nybg.org Populations Genetics, Phylo-
Angelica Bronx NY 10458 USA geography, Systematics, Mexico
Clement, Charles R. INPA cclement@inpa.gov.br Amazonia, Domestication, Wild
Av. Andre Araujo, 2936 - Aleixo Relatives
Manaus, Amazonas CEP 69060-001
Brazil
Couvreur, Thomas New York Botanical Garden tcouvreur@nybg.org Phylogeny, Population Genetics
Bronx NY 10458 USA
Dowe, John L. Australian Centre for Tropical john.dowe@jcu.edu.au Australia, New Guinea, SW Pacific,
Freshwater Research Systematics, Ecology, Historical
James Cook University Biogeography, Botanical History
Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
Dransfield, John Royal Botanic Gardens j.dransfield@kew.org SE Asia, Africa, Melesia, Mada-
Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE gascar, Systematics, Evolution,
UK Distributions, Conservation
Dupuyoo, Jean-Michel Jardin d’Oiseaux Tropicaux jmdupuyoo@yahoo.fr Vanuatu, Ethiopia, Sago Palms,
RD 559, 83250 La Londe, France Ethnobotany
Ferreira, Evandro J.L. Rua Cupuaçu, Quadra K, Casa 3 evandro@inpa.gov.br South America, Amazon, Systematics,
Morado do Sol, Rio Branco Distribution, Conservation, Uses
Acre CEP 69910-280 Brazil
Galeano, Gloria Instituto de Ciencias Naturales gagaleanog@unal.edu.co Colombia, Neotropics, Andes,
Univ. Nacional de Colombia Systematics, Conservation,
Apartado 7495, Bogotá, Colombia Management, Economic Botany
Gauto, Irene Ch. de l’Impératrice 1 igauto@gmail.com South America, Conservation,
CH-1292 Chambésy, Switzerland Distribution, Ethnobotany
Heatubun, Charlie D. Faculty of Forestry charlie_deheatboen@yahoo.com Taxonomy, Ecology, Conservation,
Universitas Papua New Guinea
Jl. Gunung Salji, Amban, Manokwari,
Irian Jaya Barat, Indonesia
Tropical Palms 235

Henderson, Andrew J. New York Botanical Garden ahenderson@nybg.org Systematics, Neotropics, Indochina
Bronx NY 10458 USA
Johnson, Dennis V. 3726 Middlebrook Ave djohn37@aol.com Conservation, Utilization, Date Palm
Cincinnati OH 45208 USA
Li Rong Sheng Research Institute of Forestry fjlrs@tom.com Southern China, SE Asia,
Chinese Academy of Forestry Conservation
Guangzhou, P.R. China
Madulid, Domingo A. Philippine National Museum dmadulid@info.com.ph Philippine Palms, Rattans,
P. Burgos St. Conservation of Endangered Species
Manila 1000 Philippines
Millán, Betty G. Museo de Historia Natural bmillans@unmsm.edu.pe South America, Systematics, Anatomy
Avda. Arenales 1256, Jesús María
Lima, Peru
Montufar, Rommel J. Pontifica Univ. Católica del Ecuador rjmontufar@puce.edu.ed Neotropical Palms, Economic Botany,
Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca Population Genetics, Management,
Quito, Ecuador Conservation
Moraes, Monica Herbario National de Bolivia monicamoraes45@gmail.com Bolivia, Allagoptera, Parajubaea,
Univ. Mayor de San Andrés Ecology, Management, Conservation
Casilla 10777 Correo Central
La Paz, Bolivia
Noblick, Larry R. Montgomery Botanical Center lnob@montgomerybotanical.org South America, Systematics,
11901 Old Cutler Rd. Evolution, Conservation, Cocoseae,
Miami FL 33156 USA Syagrus, Butia, Attalea
Putz, Francis E. Department of Biology fep@ufl.edu Ecology, Management
University of Florida
Gainesville FL 32611 USA
Quero, Hermilo J. Jardin Botanico quero@servidor.unam.mx Systematics of Mexican and
UNAM Apdo. Post. 70-614 Mesoamerican Palms
Mexico, D.F. Mexico
Raherison, Elie S.M. 2253, Pav. Charles-Eugơne-Marchand, m_raherison@hotmail.com Madagascar, Conservation Biology,
Université Laval Genetics
Québec (Qc) G1K 7P4 Canada
236 Tropical Palms

Rakotoarinivo, Mijoro Royal Botanic Gardens Kew mrakotoarinivo.rbgkew@moov.mg Madagascar, Systematics,
Madagascar Office, Lot II J 131 B Distributions, Conservation
Ambodivoanjo, Ivandry
Antananarivo 101 Madagascar
Roncal, Julissa Institute of Biological Sciences julissa.roncal@biology.au.dk Neotropics, Phylogenetics,
University of Aarhus, Bldg. 1540 Biogeography, Conservation and
Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus Restoration, Speciation
Denmark
Saw Leng Guan Forest Research Institute Malaysia sawlg@frim.gov.my SE Asia, Systematics, Distributions,
Kepong, Selangor 52109 Conservation
Malaysia
Shapcott, Alison J. University Sunshine Coast ashapcot@usc.edu.au Conservation Genetics, Endangered
Maroochydore 4558 Species Recovery, Australasia,
Queensland, Australia Madagascar, Population Ecology
Stauffer, Fred W. Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques fred.stauffer@ville-ge.ch Neotropics, Venezuela, Morphology,
de la Ville de Genève, Switzerland Anatomy, Conservation
Sunderland, Terence C.H. CIFOR t.sunderland@cgiar.org Africa, Taxonomy, Ethnobotany,
P.O. Box 0113 BOC/CBD Sustainable Use, Conservation
Bogor 16000, Indonesia
Svenning, Jens-Christian Institute of Biological Sciences svenning@biology.au.dk Macroecology, Community Ecology,
University of Aarhus, Bldg. 1540 Conservation, Neotropics, Species
Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus Distribution Modelling,
Denmark Ecoinformatics
Verdecia, Raúl Jardín Botánico de Las Tunas verdecia@ltunas.inf.cu Cuba, Antilles, Copernicia,
Carretera del Cornito Km 2 Coccothrinax, Systematics,
Las Tunas, Cuba Conservation
Tropical Palms 237
13 THE MOST THREATENED PALMS OF THE WORLD: UTILIZED AND NOT UTILIZED
Genus/Species (Names in Bold are Geographical Distribution IUCN Red List Notes
reported to be utilized as documented Category1/
in this report) Year Assessed
Acanthophoenix rubra Indian Ocean: Mascarenes CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Aiphanes grandis South America: Ecuador EN 2003 population decreasing
Aiphanes leiostachys South America: Colombia EN 1998
Aiphanes verrucosa South America: Ecuador En 2003 population decreasing
Alsmithia longipes Pacific Ocean: Fiji EN 1998 monotypic; island endemic
Areca concinna South Asia: Sri Lanka EN 1998 island endemic
Arenga micrantha East Asia: China EN 2004
Asterogyne yaracuyense South America: Venezuela CR 1998
Astrocaryum minus South America: French Guiana, Brazil CR 1998
Astrocaryum triandrum South America: Colombia EN 1998
Attalea crassispatha Caribbean: Haiti CR 1998 island endemic
Bactris nancibaensis South America: French Guiana CR 1998
Bactris setiflora South America: Ecuador EN 2003 population decreasing
Balaka macrocarpa Pacific Ocean: Fiji CR 1998 island endemic
Balaka microcarpa Pacific Ocean: Fiji EN 1998 island endemic
Beccariophoenix madagascariensis Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Bentinckia nicobarica Indian Ocean: (India) Nicobar Islands EN 1998 island endemic
Borassus sambiranensis Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Brahea edulis North America: (Mexico) Guadalupe Is. EN 1998 island endemic
Calamus compsostachys East Asia: China CR 2004
Calamus obovoideus East Asia: China CR 2004
Calamus wailong East/Southeast Asia: China, Laos, Thailand CR 2004
Carpoxylon macrospermum Pacific Ocean: Vanuatu CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Ceroxylon alpinum South America: Venezuela to Ecuador EN 1998
Ceroxylon amazonicum South America: Ecuador EN 2003 population decreasing
Ceroxylon sasaimae South America: Colombia CR 1998
Chuniophoenix hainanensis East Asia: China, including Hainan Is. EN 2004
Clinostigma samoense Pacific Ocean: Samoa EN 1998 island endemic
Coccothrinax borhidiana Caribbean: Cuba CR 1998 island endemic
Coccothrinax crinita Caribbean: Cuba EN 1998 two subspp., island endemic
Copernicia ekmanii Caribbean: Hispaniola EN 1998 island endemic
238 Tropical Palms
Cryosophila bartlettii North America: Panama EN 1998
Cryosophila cookii North America: Costa Rica CR 1998
Cryosophila grayumii North America: Costa Rica CR 1998
Cyphophoenix nucele Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia CR 1998 island endemic
Cyphosperma tanga Pacific Ocean: Fiji CR 1998 island endemic
Cyphosperma voutmelense Pacific Ocean: Vanuatu EN 1998
Deckenia nobilis Indian Ocean: Seychelles EN 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Drymophloeus (=Solfia) samoensis Pacific Ocean: Samoa CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Dypsis ambanjae Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis ambositrae Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis ampasindavae Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis antanambensis Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis arenarum Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis basilonga Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis bejofo Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis boiviniana Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis canaliculata Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis canescens Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis ceracea Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis commersoniana Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis decipiens Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis dransfieldii Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis faneva Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis hovomantsina Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis ifanadianae Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis intermedia Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis interrupta Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis ligulata Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis mangorensis Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis nauseosa Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis nossibensis Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis oropedionis Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis ovobontsira Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis psammophila Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Tropical Palms 239
Dypsis rivulsaris Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis sahanofensis Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Dypsis saintelucei Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis singularis Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Dypsis tsaravoasira Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Gaussia spirituana Caribbean: Cuba EN 1998 island endemic
Geonoma irena South America: Ecuador EN 2003 population decreasing
Hyophorbe amaricaulis Indian Ocean: Mauritius CR 2000 island endemic, population decreasing
Hyophorbe indica Indian Ocean: Réunion EN 1998 island endemic
Hyophorbe lagenicaulis Indian Ocean: Mauritius CR 1998 island endemic
Hyphorbe vaughanii Indian Ocean: Mauritius CR 2000 island endemic, population decreasing
Hyphorbe verschaffeltii Indian Ocean: Rodrigues CR 1998 island endemic
Kentiopsis oliviformis Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia EN 1998 island endemic
Latania loddigesii Indian Ocean: Mauritius EN 1998 island endemic
Latania lontaroides Indian Ocean: Réunion EN 1998 island endemic
Latania verschaffeltii Indian Ocean: Rodrigues EN 1998 island endemic
Lavoixia macrocarpa Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Lemurophoenix halleuxii Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Livistona drudei Australia EN 1998
Loxococcus rupicola South Asia: Sri Lanka CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Marojejya darianii Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Masola kona Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Medemia argun Africa: Egypt, Sudan CR 1998 monotypic
Neoveitchia storckii Pacific Ocean: Fiji EN 1998 island endemic
Orania trispatha Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Parajubaea sunkha South America: Bolivia EN 2006 population unknown
Parajubaea torallyi South America: Bolivia EN 1998
Pelagodoxa henryana Pacific Ocean: Marquesas CR 1998 island endemic
Phytelephas tumacana South America: Colombia EN 1998
Pinanga tashiroi East Asia: Taiwan CR 2004 island endemic
Plectocomia microstachya South Asia: Myanmar EN 2004
Pritchardia affinis Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia forbesiana Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands EN 1998 island endemic
240 Tropical Palms
Pritchardia glabrata Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands EN 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia hardyi Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia kaalae Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia lanaiensis Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands EN 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia lanigera Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands EN 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia limahuliensis Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia munroi Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia napaliensis Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia perlmanii Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands EN 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia remota Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands EN 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia schattaueri Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardia viscosa Pacific Ocean: Hawaiian Islands CR 1998 island endemic
Pritchardiopsis jeanneneyi Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Pseudophoenix lediniana Caribbean: Haiti CR 1998 island endemic
Ptychosperma gracile Pacific Ocean: Bismarck Arch. EN 1998 island endemic
Ptychosperma (=Drymophloeus) hentyi Pacific Ocean: Bismarck Arch. EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea albicans Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea hildebrandtii Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea julietiae Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea lakatra Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea latisecta Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea louvelii Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea moorei Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 island endemic
Ravenea nana Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Ravenea xerophila Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 island endemic
Roystonea dunlapiana North America: Mexico to Central America Cuba EN 1998
Roystonea regia North America: USA (Florida) CR 1998
Roystonea stellata Caribbean: Cuba EN 1998 island endemic
Sabal bermudana Atlantic Ocean: Bermuda EN 1998 island endemic
Satranala decussilvae Indian Ocean: Madagascar EN 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Syagrus macrocarpa South America: Brazil EN 1998
Tectiphiala ferox Indian Ocean: Mauritius CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Thrinax ekmaniana Caribbean: Cuba CR 1998 island endemic
Trachycarpus nanus East Asia: China EN 2004
Tropical Palms 241
Veitchia montgomeryana (=arecina) Pacific Ocean: Vanuatu EN 1998 island endemic
Voanioala gerardii Indian Ocean: Madagascar CR 1998 monotypic, island endemic
Wettinia hirsuta South America: Colombia EN 1998
Wettinia minima South America: Ecuador EN 2003 population unknown
1 CR = Critically Endangered. The species is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
EN = The species is considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Note: Palms known to be extinct in the wild are: Corypha taliera, South Asia; and Cryosophila williamsii, Central America.
Source: Based upon The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2008), with updated nomenclature and some additional notes.
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242 Tropical Palms
BACK COVER BLURB
Palms, belonging to the Arecaceae family, are among the most common plants in tropical
countries and provide a vast assortment of products ranging from food to construction
materials, fibre and fuel. Tropical palms, originally published in 1998, has been updated in
2010 to include the most recent information and developments regarding the conservation
status and use of various tropical palm species. It describes the many uses of the products
derived from palms and provides updated references and sources of additional information.
Palm products are considered both at the subsistence and commercial levels. Using this
publication, readers will be able to assess the role of palms and their products within forest
management, reforestation, agriculture and nature conservation activities.
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I 1590 e

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Thanks go to Ms Susy Tafuro for the formatting and layout.

A cross-section of a palm fruit is provided in Figure 1-4, G. It serves to introduce the

Figure 1-4 Palm Fruit Types. A. Corypha, Coryphoideae subfamily. B. Calamus,

Traveler’s palm. (Fig. 1-5, A) Ravenala madagascariensis, Strelitziaceae family, is a woody

Objectives, Coverage and Format

2 HISTORICAL ROLE OF PALMS IN HUMAN CULTURE

Ancient and Traditional Palm Products

to traditional products directly used by local populations. Selected bibliographic references

Case Studies: Indigenous Groups and Their Use of Palms

Table 2-1 Iban, Sarawak, Malaysia, Utilization of Native Palms

Scientific Name/Iban Name Uses

Arenga hastata, mudor down on stem as tinder

Calamus blumei, wi kijang baskets

Calamus caesius, sega many uses, the best split rattan

Calamus conirostris, rotan basket spars and weaving; general uses

Calamus corrugatus, many uses, as good as Calamus caesius; smallest

Calamus flabellatus, baskets; various other uses

Calamus gonospermus, sega ai baskets, split or whole

Calamus hispidulus, rotan cane can be used

Calamus javensis, wi anak baskets, split or whole

Calamus laevigatus var. baskets, mats, tying

Calamus laevigatus var. good cane

Calamus marginatus, sold as Calamus caesius

Calamus mattanensis, baskets; many other uses

Calamus paspalanthus, rotan edible palm heart, sour fruit; cane

Calamus pilosellus, binding

Scientific Name/Iban Name Uses

Ceratolobus discolor, danan basket spars, weaving

Ceratolobus subangulatus, baskets, tying, etc.

Daemonorops acamptostachys, fishing baskets from petiole skin

Daemonorops cristata, fruit exudate as gum; fruit eaten by children

Daemonorops didymophylla, baskets, especially earth baskets; sarcotesta sweet and

Daemonorops sabut, basket spars, weaving

Korthalsia cheb, furniture and general utility

Korthalsia echinometra, cane used

Korthalsia ferox, baskets, furniture, many other uses.

Korthalsia flagellaris, danan baskets, weaving, many other uses

Korthalsia rigida, baskets, chairs, various other uses

Korthalsia rostrata, baskets, chicken coops; sewing (split); tying logs

Licuala petiolulata, gerenis petiole skin for making baskets

Scientific Name/Iban Name Uses

Pinanga cf. ligulata, pinang stem for lance shaft

Pinanga mooreana, walking sticks; fruit eaten

Plectocomia mulleri, baskets, chairs, etc; good split

Salacca vermicularis, petiole skin for weaving baskets; fruit edible

Salacca nov. sp., lekam fruit (sweet-sour) edible

Source: Pearce, 1994.

Table 2-2 Shipibo, Peru, Utilization of Native Palms

Scientific and Shipibo Common Names Uses

Astrocaryum huicungo*, páni new pinnate leaves to make women’s

Astrocaryum jauari, yahuarhuanqui stems as house posts; petioles to make

Attalea tessmannii, conta leaf pinnae to make brooms

Bactris concinna, shiní edible fruit

Bactris maraja, taná edible fruit; stems as house floor supports,

Chelyocarpus ulei, bonká palmate leaves as sitting mats, umbrellas,

Euterpe precatoria, paná stems as house posts; stem slats as house

Geonoma deversa, quebón juani stems to support mosquito nets

Iriartea deltoidea*, tao stem wood for house flooring, shelving,

Scientific and Shipibo Common Names Uses

Syagrus sancona, shuhui stem wood for loom parts

Note: * Binomials changed to currently accepted names.

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