Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Livistona speciosa Kurz (ARECACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Mountain Serdang

Description

Solitary fan-leafed palm to 25 m tall, 20-30 cm diameter. Crown roundish, with 40-50 leaves. Petiole 1.4-1.6 m long with spines along the margin; blade c. 2 m across, nearly circular, regularly segmented with stiff tips. Inflorescence much branched, c. 1.2-2 m long bearing small greenish cream blossoms. Fruits obovate to ovoid, 18-25 mm across, greenish blue to light blue when mature.


Ecology

On mountain ridges.

Distribution

Thailand, Burma and Peninsular Malaysia, often growing gregariously on mountain ridges. Also recorded on coastal islands off Peninsular Malaysia at lower elevations.

Uses

Rarely seen in cultivation but has an enormous potential as a landscape plant.