Pritchardia beccariana
Rock.
Loulou palms
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Summary
Source: WikipediaPritchardia beccariana, the Kilauea pritchardia, or Beccari's loulu, is a species of palm tree in the genus Pritchardia that is endemic to wet forests on the eastern part of the island of Hawaiʻi, near Hilo.
Description
A slender fan palm. It grows to 18 m tall. Trunks are 20-30 cm across. The trunk has close rings. The crown is open and rounded. The leaf stalks are 1-1.5 m long. There are greyish-brown fibres at the base. The leaves are large. They are bright green and somewhat scaly underneath. The fan like leaves are divided for about 1/4 of their depth. The tips of the leaflets droop slightly. The fruit are large and shiny black. They are oval and 2.5-3.5 cm long. NB Several Pritchardia of Hawaii have edible immature fruit. See Jones, D.L., 1994, Palms throughout the World. Smithtonian Institution, Washington. p 54, 311 Also Blomberry, A. & Rodd, T., 1982, Palms. An informative practical guide. Angus & Robertson. p 148
Edible Uses
The immature fruit are eaten.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten while immature.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in rainforest on the windward slopes up to 1200 m altitude in Hawaii. It needs a sunny position and well drained soil.
Where It Grows
Hawaii, North America, Pacific, USA,
Notes
There are about 30-40 Pritchardia species.
References (2)
- Blomberry, A. & Rodd, T., 1982, Palms. An informative practical guide. Angus & Robertson. p 148
- Riffle, R.L. & Craft, P., 2003, An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Timber Press. p 420
