Arecaceae FAMILY Near Threatened

Oncosperma fasciculatum

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

The prickly stems are a great hindrance in climbing the steep hillsides where this plant grows[ 464 Title A Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon Publication Author Trimen H.; continued by Hooker J.D. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Dulau and Co; London. Year 1898 ISBN Description Very dated, but still a useful work. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].

Botanical Description

Oncosperma fasciculatum is a prickly, clump-forming, evergreen palm, though usually only one stem is well developed. The usually unbranched stems can grow up to to 20 metres tall and 15cm in diameter, and are covered with rings of black, flattened spines. There is a rosette of leaves on top of each stem, with large leaves that can be 300cm or more long. This species is somewhat unusual for a palm in as much as it sometimes produces branched stems above ground level[ 1968 Title Palms of Southern Asia Publication Author Henderson A. Publisher Princeton University Press, New York Year 2009 ISBN 978-0-691-13449-9 Description An excellent concise guide ], The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wod.. Oncosperma fasciculatum is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeE. Asia - southwest Sri Lanka

HabitatLowland to montane rain forest, often on steep, rocky slopes; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[ 1968 Title Palms of Southern Asia Publication Author Henderson A. Publisher Princeton University Press, New York Year 2009 ISBN 978-0-691-13449-9 Description An excellent concise guide ].