Licuala spinosa
Wurmb.
Arecaceae
Corypha pilearia Lour.
Licuala acutifida peninsularis Becc.
Licuala horrida Blume
Licuala pilearia (Lour.) Blume
Licuala ramosa Blume
Common Name:
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by: Mokkie
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 |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, 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.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
