Oncosperma fasciculatum
Thwaites
Arecaceae
Common Name:
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 Status | Near Threatened |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 15.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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 -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
