Palm cabbage
Kentia chaunostachys

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A solitary palm. It is tall. It grows 20 m high. The trunk is slender, ringed and grey. The trunk can be 20-39 cm across. It has a long crown-shaft. This can be 1-1.3 m long. The crown-shaft is covered with woolly brown hairs. The crown-shaft is slightly thicker than the trunk at its base and tapers upwards. The fronds arch over. The leaves are 2.6-3 m long with a 12-25 cm long stalk. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets are 50 cm long and deep green. These can be erect and spreading forming a V shape. The leaflets are slender. The flowering stalk arises below the crown-shaft. The fruit are small and bright red. They occur in dense clusters. These clusters are about 1 m long. Each fruit contains a single seed.

There are 14 (33?) Gronophyllum species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. It suits tropical and subtropical regions. It grows between 1760-2170 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Pacific, Papua New Guinea

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Cabbage, palm heart

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Gronophyllum chaunostachys (Burret) H.E.Moore; Kentia chaunostachys Burret;