Common Name:

General Information

Voanioala gerardii is an evergreen, solitary-stemmed palm tree growing up to 20 metres tall and looking somewhat like a coconut palm[]. The unbranched bole is topped by a rosette of leaves that can be up to 5 metres long[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its edible apical bud, which is consumed locally.
The tree is seriously threatened by habitat destruction and harvesting of the apical bud for food. Fewer than 10 trees are known to exist in the wild[]. Unless effective protection can be given to areas of forest on the Masoala Peninsula and the trees are safeguarded against exploitation, the species is unlikely to survive. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar.

Habitat

Primary forest on gentle slopes at elevations around 400 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a warm, moist, well drained position[].
This species is thought perhaps to have been the ancestor of the coconut that we know today. Even though the nut only measures about 5cm x 7cm and weighs approximately 100 - 120 grams, the close relationship with the modern coconut, Cocos nucifera , can be observed in the similarities of the arrangement of the inflorescences and in the physical structure of the fruits (nuts)[].

Edible Uses

The apical bud and young leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable[]. Harvesting this bud leads to the death of the tree since it is unable to make side branches[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - difficult to germinate and very slow growing[].

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