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Useful Tropical Plants

Medemia argun

(Mart.) Wurttenb. ex H.Wendl.

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Areca passalacquae Kunth

Hyphaene argun Mart.

Medemia abiadensis H.Wendl.

Common Name: Argun Palm

Medemia argun
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by:
Image credit to Palmweb
Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun Medemia argun

General Information

Argun palm is a robust, unarmed, solitary-stemmed, evergreen fan palm tree growing about 6 metres tall. The stout, unarmed bole is topped by a ring of the dead leaves and flowers and then a crown of the fan-shaped leaves.
The plant yields an edible fruit and leaves that can be used for weaving. It was cultivated for its fruit in ancient Egypt[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].
The plant was believed to have become extinct and was only known from the fossil record[
347
Title
Tropical Palms
Publication
Non-Wood Forest Products No. 10
Author
Johnson D.V.
Website
http://www.fao.org/docrep/
Publisher
FAO, Rome
Year
2011
ISBN
978-92-5-106742-0
Description
A terse guide to some of the uses of palms. Also available for download from the web. (Search for "FAO Tropical Palms")
]. It was rediscovered in Sudan in 1995 in small fragmented subpopulations, where there are signs of regeneration[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. The subpopulations in Egypt are assumed to be similarly small and fragmented[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. The plant has been classified as 'Critically endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2009)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Northeastern tropical Africa - southern Egypt and northern Sudan.

Habitat

Desert oases[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusCritically Endangered
Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height6.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A tree of arid areas of the tropics and subtropics. The plant is said to be able to tolerate temperatures down to -2°c, but this would only be the case in dry climates[
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.
,
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Requires a position in full sun[
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.
]. Requires a dry, well-drained soil.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
,
347
Title
Tropical Palms
Publication
Non-Wood Forest Products No. 10
Author
Johnson D.V.
Website
http://www.fao.org/docrep/
Publisher
FAO, Rome
Year
2011
ISBN
978-92-5-106742-0
Description
A terse guide to some of the uses of palms. Also available for download from the web. (Search for "FAO Tropical Palms")
]. At first inedible, they become edible after they have been stored in the soil for a while[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. The fruits become somewhat sweet, with a flavour somewhat reminiscent of coconuts[
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.
]. The germinating fruit is eaten[
324
Title
Edible Nuts.
Publication
Non-Wood Forest Products, Handbook 5
Author
Wickens G.E.
Website
http://www.fao.org/docrep/
Publisher
FAO, Rome.
Year
1995
ISBN
92-5-103748-5
Description
Detailed information on 20 of the most valuable nut crops, plus more basic information on a wide range of other nut-producing plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Since fruit does not germinate, it must be assumed that it is the seed that is meant - which would suggest that storing the fruit in the soil for a while was to allow the seed to germinate[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The leaves are used to weave mats[
347
Title
Tropical Palms
Publication
Non-Wood Forest Products No. 10
Author
Johnson D.V.
Website
http://www.fao.org/docrep/
Publisher
FAO, Rome
Year
2011
ISBN
978-92-5-106742-0
Description
A terse guide to some of the uses of palms. Also available for download from the web. (Search for "FAO Tropical Palms")
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Medemia+argun>

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