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Useful Tropical Plants

Oncosperma fasciculatum

Thwaites

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

No Image.

General Information

Oncosperma fasciculatum is a prickly, clump-forming, evergreen palm, though usually only one stem is well developed. The usually unbranched stems can grow up to to 20 metres tall and 15cm in diameter, and are covered with rings of black, flattened spines. There is a rosette of leaves on top of each stem, with large leaves that can be 300cm or more long. This species is somewhat unusual for a palm in as much as it sometimes produces branched stems above ground level[
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 plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wod..
Oncosperma fasciculatum is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[
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

The prickly stems are a great hindrance in climbing the steep hillsides where this plant grows[
464
Title
A Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon
Publication
 
Author
Trimen H.; continued by Hooker J.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Dulau and Co; London.
Year
1898
ISBN
 
Description
Very dated, but still a useful work. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Botanical References

464
Title
A Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon
Publication
 
Author
Trimen H.; continued by Hooker J.D.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Dulau and Co; London.
Year
1898
ISBN
 
Description
Very dated, but still a useful work. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
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 - southwest Sri Lanka

Habitat

Lowland to montane rain forest, often on steep, rocky slopes; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[
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

Conservation StatusNear Threatened
Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height15.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The palm hearts are eaten[
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 palm heart (the inner core and growing bud of the plant) is harvested. It provides a crispy food, rich in nutrients, that can be eaten raw or cooked. Harvesting the heart will lead to the death of the stem it was harvested from, though in multi-stemmed plants such as this the rest of the plant will continue to grow and often produce new stems. Since only one stem is usually well-developed in this species, it makes sense to harvest the heart from one of the smaller stems[
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 stems (particularly the hard outer section) is used locally for construction[
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. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Oncosperma+fasciculatum>

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