Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Synonyms
Family
Ornamental - It is planted as an ornamental palm in various landscapes and is a good source of fiber, especially collected from the leaf bases. Medicine - The flowers and seeds are astringent and haemostatic. A decoction of the flowers and seeds is used to treat nosebleeds, blood in stools, gonorrhea, and other venereal diseases (Duke and Ayensu, 1985).
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal
It grows in subtropical forests and open areas, often along riverbanks. It can tolerate a wide range of elevations (up to 1500 m asl).
Gets the name from its large, fan-shaped leaves. Unlike other palms, it can tolerate cooler climates.
It is a single-stemmed palm tree, reaching a height of up to 20 m.
The stem is erect and solitary, covered in a thick, fibrous brown coat. The trunk is smooth beneath the fibers, with distinct leaf scars.
Leaves are large, fan-shaped, and palmately divided into numerous segments. The leaf segments are stiff and leathery, with a bluish-green color. The leaf petiole is long and covered in brown fibers.
Flowers are small and yellowish, arranged in a branched, erect inflorescence. They are unisexual, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
Fruit is a small, round, black drupe with a single seed. The fruits are produced in clusters.
Flowering: March – April
Fruiting: August to early autumn