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Eleiodoxa conferta

(Griffith) Burret

Kelubi palm

Arecaceae Edible: Fruit, Palm heart, Cabbage 86 iNaturalist observations

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(c) Yopika Anardo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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Description

A spiny palm without a trunk. The trunk is under the ground and branches freely forming a spreading clump. It forms clumps and has feather-like leaves. The leaves are 4 m long. They are held stiffly erect and only arch over slightly. The leaf stalks are 3 m long and green. The leaf stalks and midrib are covered with long sharp, black spines. The leaflets are regularly spaced and 1.6 m long. They are narrowly sword shaped and end with a tip cut off at an angle. There are short spines along the edge. The plants are of one sex only. The flowering stalk grows from the underground stem. This stem then dies off. The fruit are about 3 cm long. They are pear shaped and when ripe are dull yellow. The fruit are covered with scales. The sour flesh of the fruit is widely used in cooking.

Edible Uses

The sour fruit flesh is widely used in cooking as a vegetable for pickles and relishes, and serves as a substitute for tamarind. The sour fruit are pickled and sold commercially in Malaysia. The palm heart is also edible.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are used as a vegetable to make pickles and relishes. They are sour and a substitute for tamarind. The palm heart is edible.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the fruit wall is used as a treatment against coughs.

Distribution

A tropical plant. They form thickets in swampy, lowland areas. It likes a hot tropical climate. It needs plenty of water and rich acidic soil. It cannot tolerate cold or frost.

Where It Grows

Asia, Brunei, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Thailand,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seed are slow and erratic to germinate. Clumps of palms can be divided.

Other Uses

The leaves are used for thatching and are woven into mats.

Other Information

The fruit are pickled and sold in Malaysia. It is cultivated.

Notes

There is only one Eleiodoxa species.

Synonyms

Eleiodoxa microcarpa BurretEleiodoxa orthoschista BurretEleiodoxa scortechinii (Becc.) BurretEleiodoxa xantholepis BurretSalacca conferta Griff.Salacca scortechinii Becc.

Also Known As

Asam paya, Kra-lu-bi, Kuwai-kuwai, Salak hutan, Som lumphi

References (19)

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  • Davis, S.D., Heywood, V.H., & Hamilton, A.C. (eds), 1994, Centres of plant Diversity. WWF. Vol 2. p 320
  • Dransfield, J., et al, 2004, A preliminary checklist to Thai Palms. Thai For. Bull. (Bot.) 32:32-72
  • Giesen, W., 2013, Paludiculture: sustainable alternatives on degraded peat land in Indonesia (revised draft)
  • Haynes, J., & McLaughlin, J., 2000, Edible palms and Their Uses. University of Florida Fact sheet MCDE-00-50-1 p 6
Show all 19 references
  • Hoe, V. B. & Siong, K. H., 1999, The nutritional value of indigenous fruit and vegetables in Sarawak. Asia Pacific J. Clin. Nutr. 8(1):24-31
  • Johnson, D.V., 1998, Tropical palms. Non-wood Forest products 10. FAO Rome. p 46
  • Jones, D.L., 1994, Palms throughout the World. Smithtonian Institution, Washington. p 54, 212
  • Jones, D.L., 2000, Palms of Australia 3rd edition. Reed/New Holland. p 157
  • Macmillan, H.F. (Revised Barlow, H.S., et al) 1991, Tropical Planting and Gardening. Sixth edition. Malayan Nature Society. Kuala Lumpur. p 307
  • Milow, P., et al, 2013, Malaysian species of plants with edible fruits or seeds and their evaluation. International Journal of Fruit Science. 14:1, 1-27
  • Murakami, A. et al, 2014, Screening for the In Vitro Anti-tumor-promoting Activities of Edible Plants from Malaysia. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 64:1, 9-16.
  • Norfaizal, , M., et al, 2014, Flora Diversity of Sungai Teris, Karu Wildlife reserve, Pahang, Malaysia. Journal of Wildlife and Parks (2014) 28 : 81-91
  • PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia) handbook, Volume 2, 1991, Edible fruits and nuts.
  • Riffle, R.L. & Craft, P., 2003, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Timber Press. p 335
  • Siong, K. H., 2003, Indigenous Fruits of Sarawak. Forest Department Sarawak. p 130
  • Soepadmo, E., 1998, Plants. The Encyclopedia of Malaysia. Archipelago press. p 54
  • Suwardi, A. B., et al, 2020, Wild edible fruits generate substantial income for local people of the Gunung Leuser National Park, Aceh Tamiang Region. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 20:11
  • Zawiah, N. & Othaman, H., 2012, 99 Spesies Buah di FRIM. Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia. p 116

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