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Borassodendron machadonis
| Family Name: | Arecaceae (Palmae) |
| Common Name: | Cangkai, Changkai, Machado's Palm |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Palm (Solitary Habit) |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Maximum Height | 15 m |
| Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 6 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Thailand & Peninsular Malaysia |
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Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | A remarkable palm with a solitary trunk and a thick crown of large green palmate fronds with the ability to produce purplish-green to brown ripen fruits. |
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| Trunk | Stem solitary, usually covered in crisscrossing leaf bases; crown shaft absent. |
| Foliage | Fronds palmate, circular, flopping, 1.5 to 1.8 m across, segregated into six large segments with each deeply incised at its end, on grooved stalks 1.8 to 2.4 m long with extremely sharp margins. |
| Others - Plant Morphology | Flower: Inflorescences creamy-white, stout, pendent and rope-like with small inconspicuous flowers on male plant, spike-like with much larger flowers on female plant. Fruit:Fruits ovoid with a flat end, 10 to 12 cm in diameter, purplish-green to brown when ripe. |
| Cultivation | For best appearance, it requires high levels of moisture and consistently high humidity. Tolerates a wide range of soils but prefers those high in organic material. Propagated by seeds. Seeds will germinate between 2 to 4 months. |
| Etymology | This very small genus of large palms is closely related to another genus of palm, Borassus. Thus, it gets its genus epithet from that genus, which comes from the Greek word 'borassos', an immature spadix of the date palm, together with the Greek word 'dendron', tree, thus suggesting a resemblance. The species epithet is honoured after H.N. Ridley's colleague, Machado, who discovered the plant from the forest of Kamuning, Malaysia. |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
Foliar
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth, Glossy / Shiny |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Palm Fronds (Fan / Costapalmate) |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 4.0 (Palm - Cluster) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Trunk Type (Palm) | Solitary Habit, Aboveground |
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Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White |
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Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Brown |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 1308 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 2601 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |