Palm Trees - Caryota mitis

Caryota mitis

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Caryota mitis at The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, England - July 2007



General Information
Family:
Arecaceae
Common Names:
Clustering Fishtail Palm
Synonyms:
Caryota furfuracea
Drymophloeus zippellii
Thuessinkia speciosa
Distribution:
China
To Indo-China
Malaysia
Habitat:
Rainforest
Conservation Status:
Habitat Threats:

Native Uses:
Food Source (Sago)
Commercial Uses:

Physical Characteristics
Height:
Up to 6m (20ft)
Spread:
Up to 4.5m (15ft)
Growth Habit:
Clumping
Growth Rate:
Fast
Trunk Type:
No Crownshaft
Smooth Green/Grey Prominently Ringed
Trunk Diameter:
Up to 150mm (6")
Leaf Type:
Bipinnate
Leaf Size:
Up to 2.5m (8ft)
Leaf Colour:
Light Green
Petiole:
Up to 900mm (36")
Unarmed
Self Cleaning:
Yes
Inflorescence Colour:
Whitish
Reproduction:
Monoecious
Fruit Description:
Up to 12mm (0.5")
Round
Fruit Colour:
Ripens To Deep Red Or Black

Cultural Requirements
Light:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Soil:
Moist
Well Draining
Watering:
Regular
Maintain Moisture
Min. Temp:
-1°C (30°F)
Tolerances:
Ful Sun
High Humidity
Propagation:
Seed
Clump Separation
Germination:
3-6 Months
28-32°C ( 82-90°F)
Planting:
Usually Individual Clumps
Uses:
Feature
Ornamental
Specimen
Availability:
Specialist Nurseries
Seed Distributors

References: IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 December 2004.
Kew World Checklist Of Selected Plant Families. <www.kew.org/wcsp/home.do>
Maas, P. J. M. & H. Maas-van de Kamer. Costaceae. Pp. 413-423 in, B. E. Hammel, M. H. Grayum, C. Herrera, & N. Zamora (eds.), Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica. vol. II. Gimnospermas y monocotiledóneas (Agavaceae- Musaceae). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 92: 1-694.
Noblick, L.R. Ph.D., 1998. Hardiness Observations In Palm Species. <www.bg-map.com/PLMTBLA.HTML>
Riffle,R.L. & Craft,P. 2003. An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms.