Bertram palm
Eugeissona tristis
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A clumping palm. It only has a very small trunk. It often forms dense thickets. It is spiny and has feather-like leaves. It forms large dense clumps. The leaves can be 8 m high. Individual leaves are held stiffly erect. The leaf stalks are spiny. The dead leaves are often mixed in the clump. The leaflets are regularly spaced and 1 m long. They grow in an almost flat plane. The flower stalk may rise 3 m in height. The flowers are brownish. The fruit are 10 cm long by 5 cm wide. The young fruit are edible.
There are 6 Eugeissona species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in the tropical lowlands in Malaysia and up to 800 m altitude. It can grow in a sunny or shady position.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Indochina, Malaysia, SE Asia, Thailand
How it is used for food
The immature fruit are edible. The shoots are eaten. There is a little sago or starch on the trunk.
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Bertam, Beltap, Beltakn, Chak cham, Chak khao, Chembag, Chinbeg, Pedoh, Pedar, Lams, Sue-dae