Common Name:

General Information

Eleiodoxa conferta is an evergreen, stemless, palm forming clusters of leaves up to 4 metres tall from the short, underground stems. The leaves are up to 3.5 metres long, growing on petioles up to 2 metres long that are armed with whorls of 5 - 7cm long spines. The plant can form large thickets[, ].
This species is widely used by local people throughout its range, providing food and materials. The fruit is often sold in local markets[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Habitat

Freshwater swamps, often forming large colonies[]. Lowland fresh water swamps, especially abundant in peat swamp forest with some water movement[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sheltered position in a moist to wet soil[]. Prefers a rich, acid soil[].
A hapaxanthic palm, individual trunks grow for some years before they flower, but then die after flowering[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - cooked[, ]. Intensely acid, it is used to flavour curries or is boiled to make sweetmeats[]. It can be used as a substitute for tamarind (Tamarindus indicus)[]. The reddish brown,obovoid fruits are up to 25mm long and 25mm in diameter, containing a single seed[].

Apical bud - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. Although harvesting the bud will lead to the death of that trunk (since it is unable to make side shoots), the plant produces new growth from the underground stem and so it is possible to sustainably harvest the buds if picked in moderation[].

Medicinal

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

Other Uses

The leaves are used for thatching and are woven into mats[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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