Medemia argun
(Mart.) Wurttenb. ex H.Wendl.
Arecaceae
Areca passalacquae Kunth
Hyphaene argun Mart.
Medemia abiadensis H.Wendl.
Common Name: Argun Palm
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by:
Image credit to Palmweb
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by:
Image credit to Palmweb
Seedling plant
Photograph by:
Image credit to Palmweb
Seeds scattered over the sand
Photograph by:
Image credit to Palmweb
Young plant
Photograph by:
Image credit to Palmweb
Plants in natural habitat
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Fruit cut open to reveal the seed
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Fruits
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Wadi Neigit, Egypt
Photograph by: Haitham Ibrahim'
Image credit to Palmweb
Ripening fruits
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Ripening fruits
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
General Information
Medemia argun 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[
].
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 Status | Critically Endangered |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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.
,
,
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[
]. 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 -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
