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Areca laosensis Becc.
| Family Name: | Arecaceae (Palmae) |
| Common Name: | Mak Lo Ka Thoen |
Areca laosensis is a short, solitary to clustering rainforest palm native to Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. It can grow up to 4 metres tall and produces even-pinnately compound fronds with slender, glossy leaflets. It is grown best in semi-shaded locations of parks and gardens with moist, well-draining soil and moderate watering.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Palm (Clustered Habit) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Maximum Height | 4 m |
| Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 2 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Laos, Vietnam, & Thailand |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Horticultural / Cultivated Only) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a solitary or clustering palm, growing up to 4 m in height. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The fronds are semi-erect and even pinnately compound. The petiole (leaf stalk) can be up to 10 cm long, and the rachis (midrib of a compound leaf) is no more than 1 m long. The slender, glossy leaflets are irregularly spaced and in an opposite, subopposite or alternate arrangement along the rachis. New fronds often emerge with the tips of leaflets connected to one another. |
| Stems | The stems are slender (1.5–2.5 cm in diameter), smooth, reddish in colour and ringed with leaf scars. |
| Crown Shaft | The crown shaft is smooth and green. |
| Flowers | The erect inflorescence is an infrafoliar panicle, emerging below the fronds and the crown shaft and subtended by a spathe or penduncular bract. It branches to two orders with more than 15 spirally arranged, yellowish-green first-order branches. Male flowers are mostly inserted in pairs with 6 stamens. |
| Fruit | The infructescence is clustered with large drupes (fleshy fruits with thin skin and a single central seed), up to 3.5 cm long. |
| Taxonomy | Other from the Thai specimens, little is known about this species, apart from two old specimens from southern Laos and Vietnam in 1877 and 1923, respectively. Andrew Henderson, curator Emeritus at the New York Botanical Garden and an authority on palm systematics, proposed that this species might be a hybrid between Areca catechu and A. triandra, sharing the 6 stamens found in the former and paired male flowers found in the latter. |
| Cultivation | It grows best in fertile, moist, well-draining soil in semi-shade to full-shade. It can be propagated by seed. |
| Etymology | The genus Areca is derived from a vernacular name by the locals of the Malabar coast of India for a species of this particular genus. The specific epithet Laosensis refers to the type locality of the species, Laos. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Form, Ornamental Foliage |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | General, Container Planting, Hedge / Screening, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens |
| Thematic Landscaping | Naturalistic Garden |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Bee)) |
|---|
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Semi-Shade, Full Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils |
| Propagation Method | Seed |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Glossy / Shiny, Smooth |
| Foliar Modification | Flower/Fruit Bract |
| Foliar Type | Compound (Even-Pinnate) |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Spiral |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Palm Fronds (Pinnate / Feather) |
| Foliar Venation | Parallel |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Trunk Type (Palm) | Aboveground, Clustering Habit, Solitary Habit |
|---|
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual Flowers , Monoecious |
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
|---|
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Radial |
| Inflorescence Type | Panicle |
| Ovary Position | Superior / Hypogynous |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Texture(s) | Smooth |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Fleshy Fruit , Drupe |
References
| References | 1. Areca laosensis Becc., L. e-Flora of Thailand. https://botany.dnp.go.th/eflora/floraSpecies.html?tdcode=05092 (Accessed on 16 March 2026) |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 34250 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 8663 |
| 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. |
