Licuala valida

Becc.

Pala

Arecaceae Edible: Palm heart, Cabbage 16 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

iNaturalist· cc-by

Description

A palm. It has one trunk which grows 60-100 cm tall. The leaves are 1 m wide. They are on leaf stalks 60 cm long. The leaves are round. They are made up of 20 deep segments. Each is broad and wedge shaped. They have deeply toothed tips.

Edible Uses

The fruits are sometimes eaten. A pulpy flesh, though it adheres strongly to the seed. The orange, globose to ovoid fruit is 10 - 20mm long and 12 - 15mm wide, containing a single seed around 8 - 14mm long and 8mm wide. The apical bud is cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Traditional Uses

The palm heart is edible.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in low mountainous rainforest. It is cold tender.

Where It Grows

Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia,

Cultivation

The plant is often found in the wild in Kerangas forest - a type of moist, heath forest found on acidic, sandy soils that are low in nutrients, especially nitrogen.

Other Uses

The fronds are used for thatching as temporary shelters.

Notes

There are 108 Licuala species.

Also Known As

Ilad

References (3)

Haynes, J., & McLaughlin, J., 2000, Edible palms and Their Uses. University of Florida Fact sheet MCDE-00-50-1 p 7
Johnson, D.V., 1998, Tropical palms. Non-wood Forest products 10. FAO Rome. p 19
Riffle, R.L. & Craft, P., 2003, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Timber Press. p 372