Arecaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Hydriastele dransfieldii

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Hydriastele dransfieldii is a solitary stemmed evergreen palm with an unbranched stem up to 12 metres tall and 5 - 12cm in diameter; the stem is topped by a crown of 6 - 10 leaves, each 130 - 300cm long including the petiole[ 1974 Title A monograph of Hydriastele (Areceae, Arecaceae) in New Guinea and Australia Publication Phytotaxa 370 (1): 001-092, 2018 Author Petoe P., Heatubun C.D. & Baker W.J. Website https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.370.1.1 Publisher Year 2018 ISBN 1179-3155 Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as amasticatory and source of materials. Hydriastele dransfieldii is known only from the Biak Islands in western New Guinea. It has a relatively narrow extent of occurrence, but has been observed to be common in many parts of the islands. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[ 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 RangeAustralasia - New Guinea (Biak Island)

HabitatA midstorey plant, growing in lowland, primary or secondary rainforest on rocky limestone ridges and slopes, often with a very thin layer of topsoil; at elevations up to 300 metres[ 1974 Title A monograph of Hydriastele (Areceae, Arecaceae) in New Guinea and Australia Publication Phytotaxa 370 (1): 001-092, 2018 Author Petoe P., Heatubun C.D. & Baker W.J. Website https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.370.1.1 Publisher Year 2018 ISBN 1179-3155 Description ].