Rattan palm
Plectocomiopsis geminiflora

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A cane or rattan. It can grow 30 m long. It has several shoots. The cane is almost triangle shaped in cross section. It has leaflets along the stalk. The stalks die after fruiting. The stems are spiny. The male and female flowers are on separate plants. They climb by a tendril. The flowering stalk grows from the end nodes of the stem. It has one thick main axis and two branches which hang down. The female plants produce fig shaped scaly fruit.

There are 5 Plectocomiopsis species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Indochina it grows in evergreen forest between 200-800 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Brunei, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sarawak, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The fruit and seed contain alkaloids or saponins. The shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

The shoots or cabbage is sold in markets. It is bitter but enjoyed.

Edible parts

Palm heart, cabbage, shoots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ambarua, Huwi puporan, Lalih, Lalis, Laris, May dot dang, Rotan lowa, Rotan pa, Rotan relang, Rotan tiga juru, Wai deng, Wai dengnoy, Wai nou, Wi laris

Synonyms

Calamus geminiflorus Griff.; Calamus turbinatus Ridl.; Plectocomia geminiflora (Griff.) H. Wendl.;