Red Palm
Scientific Name: Cyrtostachys renda Blume
Synonyms: Areca erythropoda Miq. , Ptychosperma coccinea Teijsm. & Binn.
Unique ID: 198
Systematic Position
Class: Monocotyledonae
Series: Nudiflorae
Family: Arecaceae
Common Names
English – Red palm
Description: Cyrtostachys renda is a slender multi-stemmed, slow-growing, clustering palm tree. It can grow to 16 metres (52 feet) tall. It has a scarlet to bright red colored crownshaft and leaf sheath, making it distinct from all other species of Arecaceae. The plant’s stipe grows up to 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) in diameter. Its petioles grow up to 15 centimetres (5.9 inches) long and have pinnate leaves have about 50 pairs of pinnae. The plant’s fruits are ovoid, 1.4 centimetres (0.55 inches) in diameter, green, turning to a dark bluish-black when ripe.
Habitat: Cultivated as ornamental plant
Distribution: Native to Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia
Uses: Ornamental; medicinal in folklore, construction, food