Common Name:

General Information

Saribus rotundifolius is an evergreen, solitary-stemmed palm with a stem that can be up to 45 metres tall and 15 - 25cm in diameter; this is topped by a crown of 20 - 50 leaves with slightly arching petioles around 90 - 210cm long and fan-shaped leaves around 75 - 150cm wide[].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a source of food, wood and other materials. Young plants of this and allied species are very frequently cultivated in pots or tubs in Manila and other large towns for ornamental purposes[].
The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2009)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia (Sabah), Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku), Philippines

Habitat

Locally abundant in swampforest, seasonally dry swampforest, mangrove margins, rainforest, moist evergreen forest, along rivers and secondary forest; at elevations up to 300 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[].

Edible Uses

The fruits are sometimes eaten by children[]. The orange-red to red or to dark violet or bluish-black, globose to subglobose fruit is 11 - 25mm in diameter with a very thin layer of flesh[].

The buds are edible and rather highly esteemed as a vegetable, but as with the other palms, the removal of the bud means the death of the plant[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

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

The entire leaves were formerly sewn together and made into sails for boats[]. 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 trunks, which are about 20cm in diameter, are frequently used for pillars in houses, as they take a beautiful finish, and last well when not exposed to dampness[]. 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 -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is lesser, 17 or 71?