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Korthalsia scaphigeroides
Arecaceae FAMILY

Korthalsia scaphigeroides

Korthalsia scaphigeroides

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

This species has ants living on it in structures evolved by the plant known as ocreas. In some species the ants can be very aggressive[1, 2].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Climber
Growth—

A monocarpic species, it can grow for many years without flowering, then flowers prolifically before setting seed and dying. The flowers are produced in panicles at the ends of the stems[2]. This species has a close association with ants that make their nests within swollen structures in the leaf sheaths known as ocreas. The ant-rattan relationship also seems to involve the presence of scale insects that are husbanded by the ants for honey dew on young rattan tissue. Ants occupying the ocreas of some species can be extremely aggressive[1, 2].

Propagation

Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Korthalsia+scaphigeroides>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
  2. [2]Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 12 Part 2 — Beccari O. · Bengal Secretariat Book Depot; Calcutta · 1916 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎A botanical journal, this volume has an extensice treatment of the Asiatic Palms in the subfamily Lepidocaryeae. Although dated, it remains a classic work.
  3. [3]A Field Guide to Philippine Rattans — Aida C. Baja-Lapis · Rushing Water Publishers Ltd; Philippines · 2010 · ISBN 0117-3375 ↩︎A very useful book with concise information on the various rattan species that grow in the Philippines
  4. [4]A Synopsis of the genus Korthalsia (Palmae; Lepidocaryoideae) — Dransfield J. · 1981 ↩︎An excellent treatment of the genus Korthalsia
  5. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎