Royal welfia
Welfia regia

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A palm. The stems are single. They are 7-20 m tall and 10-15 cm across. They are greyish. There are 10-30 erect leaves. They arch over towards the tip. The leaves are reddish when young. It has a conspicuous leaf sheath. The leaf blade is 3-6 m long. There are 40-90 leaflets along each side. The middle leaflets are 1 m long and 5-10 cm wide. The flowering stalk has a 10-15 cm long stalk before branching. There are 5-12 branches. They are large and hang down. They can be 1 m long and 2.5-3.5 cm thick. They have deep large pits. These are in 8 files along the branch. The fruit are oblong and 3.5-4.5 cm long and 2 cm wide. They are reddish-brown.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow in lowland and mountain rainforest. They are on slopes and ridges in areas with high rainfall. They grow from sea level to 1500 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, SE Asia, Singapore, South America

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Palm heart, cabbage, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Amargo, Palmito, Camara, Cuasbil, Palma conga, Palma san juan, Palma tigre, Palmera, Palmilera, Palmito

Synonyms

Welfia georgii H. Wendl. ex Burret; Welfia microcarpa Burret;