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Useful Tropical Plants

Licuala spinosa

Wurmb.

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Corypha pilearia Lour.

Licuala acutifida peninsularis Becc.

Licuala horrida Blume

Licuala pilearia (Lour.) Blume

Licuala ramosa Blume

Common Name:

Licuala spinosa
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by: Mokkie
Creative Commons License
Licuala spinosa Licuala spinosa Licuala spinosa

General Information

Licuala spinosa is an evergreen palm producing large clumps of stems up to 5 metres tall and 5cm in diameter. Each stem is topped by a crown of large leaves with prickly petioles up to 250cm long and leaf blandes up to 150cm wide. Erect inflorescences can be up to 3 metres long[
1968
Title
Palms of Southern Asia
Publication
 
Author
Henderson A.
Publisher
Princeton University Press, New York
Year
2009
ISBN
978-0-691-13449-9
Description
An excellent concise guide
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine etc. It is often grown as an ornamental[
345
Title
Minor Products of Philippine Forests
Publication
 
Author
Brown. W. H.
Publisher
Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
Year
1920
ISBN
 
Description
A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

1968
Title
Palms of Southern Asia
Publication
 
Author
Henderson A.
Publisher
Princeton University Press, New York
Year
2009
ISBN
978-0-691-13449-9
Description
An excellent concise guide

Range

E. Asia - China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Habitat

Near the sea, sometimes immediately behind the mangrove within the influence of salt water, sometimes on banks and in ravines near the sea[
345
Title
Minor Products of Philippine Forests
Publication
 
Author
Brown. W. H.
Publisher
Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
Year
1920
ISBN
 
Description
A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
]. Lowland rain forest in low, wet places, or in savannahs, scrub forest, or disturbed areas[
1968
Title
Palms of Southern Asia
Publication
 
Author
Henderson A.
Publisher
Princeton University Press, New York
Year
2009
ISBN
978-0-691-13449-9
Description
An excellent concise guide
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height3.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details


Grows well in light shade[
423
Title
Desert Tropicals
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - raw or cooked[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. Eaten with Thai shrimp paste and chilli sauce[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Medicinal

The bark is used in combination with other plants for the treatment of tuberculosis[
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
].

Other Uses

In Borneo, the leaf's fireproof durability is of critical utility in preparing blowpipe dart poison - the latex of Antiaris toxicaria is held on a folded boat-shaped young leaf of this plant and then held over a small flame for about a week[
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
].

The young leaves are used as wrappings for foods such as glutinous rice desserts[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
,
1024
Title
A revision of Licuala (Arecaceae, Coryphoideae) in Borneo
Publication
Kew Bulletin 67 No. 4:pp 577 - 654
Author
Saw L.G.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Richmond
Year
2012
ISBN
0075-5974
Description
A detailed treatment of 46 species of the genus Licuala that can be found in Borneo - it gives plant uses where known. The author's personal copy can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The leaves are used to make raincoats[
1968
Title
Palms of Southern Asia
Publication
 
Author
Henderson A.
Publisher
Princeton University Press, New York
Year
2009
ISBN
978-0-691-13449-9
Description
An excellent concise guide
].

The wood of the stems is used[
701
Title
Asean Tropical Plant Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://211.114.21.20/tropicalplant/index.jsp
Publisher
 
Year
 
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details, with photos, of many of the plants growing in the tropical forests of southeast Asia. Gives some details of plant uses along with a description of the plant and its range.
].

Propagation

Seed - sown fresh, it can germinate in 6 - 8 weeks[
423
Title
Desert Tropicals
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Licuala+spinosa>

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