Common Name: Taraw Palm

General Information

Livistona saribus is a large, solitary-stemmed, evergreen, fan palm with an unbranched stem that can be up to 40 metres tall and 15 - 65cm in diameter. The stem is topped by a large and fairly dense, globose crown of 25 - 30 leaves with arching petioles 100 - 200cm long and leaf blades up to 170cm wide[, , , ].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as food, thatch, weaving etc. The plant is also cultivated in some parts of southeast Asia[]. It is often grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Southeast Asia - southern China, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

An emergent palm of the tropical rainforest[]. Lowland rain forests or dry forests, often in periodically inundated habitats; at elevations from 600 - 1,100 metres[]. Found as scattered individuals or in small to very large colonies[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Livistona saribus is a plant of tropical areas, though it is quite cold tolerant when older and can succeed in more or less frost-free temperate areas[, ]. It can tolerate occasional, short-lived frosts down to around -4°c[]. It is found in areas of high rainfall, which can be with or without a distinct dry season[].
Grows best in a sunny, moist, but well drained position[]. Plants tolerate seasonal inundation of the soil in the wild[].

Edible Uses

The terminal bud of the palm is cooked and eaten as a vegetable[, ]. Harvesting this bud leads to the death of the tree since it is unable to make sideshoots[].

Fully ripe fruits[]. The endosperm, macerated in vinegar or a salt solution, can be eaten[, , ]. The globose to ellipsoid, blue to blue-grey fruit is up to 25mm long and 20mm in diameter with a very thin layer of fleshy mesocarp about 1mm thick[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The leaves are used for thatching houses, being laid on much like shingles and sewn in place with strips of rattan; or separated into strips and made into shingles like those of the nipa palm[].

A kind of raincoat, made of several leaves of this palm sewn together, is traditionally used in many parts of the Philippines; while a very broad and shallow sun-hat, popular in many provinces, consists of a frame of bamboo or rattan covered with the leaves of this plant[].
The leaves are also used for making fans[].
The young folded leaves are used for making long-fibred brooms[, ].
The leaves are used for making a peculiar type of broom. The young leaves, while still closed, are cut off with the whole petiole attached. The thin part of the blade is then removed, leaving the ribs attached to the petiole. Six or eight of these leaves are then tied together, making a long-fibred, very flexible broom, about 1.5 meters long[].

The midrib of the leaves serves as a blowpipe[, ].

The trunks, which are about 20cm in diameter, are used for pillars in houses[]. The wood is hard, takes a high polish, and is considerably utilized in the Philippines for canes or walking sticks[].
The outer part of the trunk (which is the hardest part of the wood) is sometimes removed in the form of strips and used for floors of houses. These strips also supply the wood used for making bows and spear shafts[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in deep containers in order to avoid root constriction, planting two seeds in each container[]. The seed of this species has a longer viability than that of most palms[]. If necessary, thin the seedlings to the best plant and grow them on until large enough to plant out.

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