Caribee Royal Palm, Cabbage Palm

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Description

Solitary feather-leafed palm to 40 m tall, 60 cm diameter, trunk light grey, slightly bulging if at all above the swollen base. Crown shaft deep green, with c. 20 leaves, roundish. Leaves 4.5 m long with c. 20 cm petiole; leaflets 60-90 cm long, grow at 2 faintly different angles from each side of the rachis to create a slightly plumose leaf. Inflorescence much branched below crown shaft, flowers cream. Fruits oblong, c. 1.6-2 cm long, turning purplish to black as they ripen.

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Ecology

It grows along edges of rain forest and seasonally flooded savanna from sea level to c. 1,600 m.

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Distribution

Occurs naturally in northern Venezuela and north-eastern Colombia

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Uses

Often used as ornamental, very majestic when planted in a row. Cabbage is edible.