Ivory crown palm, Coronata palm
Pinanga coronata

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm which produces a cluster of stems. It grows to 5-8 m tall. These trunks are slender and about 10 cm across. They are yellow. The crown-shaft is prominent. It is pale yellow. The fronds hang over. Each frond is bright green and has leaflets along the stalk. The segments are moderately broad. They overlap each other. They have prominent ribbed veins. The leaflet segments vary in size. New leaflets are sometimes pink. The crown-shaft is swollen. The flower stalks come from below the crown-shaft. The fruit occur in clusters. They are small, oval and red when ripe.

Where it is found

It grows in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. It grows in lowland and mountain rainforest up to 1,800 m above sea level. It grows best in shade but can stand sun once established. It needs plenty of water. It does best in humid conditions and rich soil. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens. In Townsville palmetum.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, Australia, Fiji, Indonesia (country/location of origin), Pacific, SE Asia, Singapore

How it is used for food

The nut is sometimes used as a betel substitute.

Edible parts

Nuts - masticatory, shoots

How it is grown

It is grown from seed. The small seeds germinate quickly if fresh. Plants can also be grown from suckers.

Young plants grow quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Palem koronata

Synonyms

Areca coronata Blume ex Mart.; Areca costata (Blume) Kurz; Pinanga kuhlii Blume; Ptychosperma coronatum (Blume ex Mart.) Miq.; and others