Bayabong
Calamus manillensis

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm or rattan. It is large and robust. The stem without the leaf sheath is 30 mm across. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 3 m long. The fruit are round and light cream. It has 3 seeds.

There are 375-400 Calamus species. There are 175 species in tropical Asia.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in primary forests between 600-1,000 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Pacific, Philippines (country/location of origin), SE Asia

How it is used for food

The young shoots are boiled and used in salads.

Edible parts

Fruit, shoots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Litoko, Lituku, Uay

Synonyms

Daemonorops manillensis Mart.; Palmijuncus manillensis (Mart.) Kuntze;