Hill arecanut
Bentinckia condapanna
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A palm. It has a smooth trunk 10 m tall. It is grey and has annual ring scars from leaves. The fronds arch over. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the sides. The leaves are up to 2 m long and the leaflets are 60-75 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The flowering stalk comes from just below the crown. The flowers are small. Male flowers are red and female flowers are lilac. The fruit are a flattened round shape. They are 1 cm across and red.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It occurs between 760-1,800 m above sea level. It is in areas with a rainfall between 200-500 cm and a temperature between 15°-24°C. It can be in acid, neutral or alkaline soils with pH between 5.6-8.0.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, India
How it is used for food
The young leaves or shoots are eaten raw or cooked.
Edible parts
Leaves, shoots