Eugeissona utilis
Eugeissona (yoo-gee-SOHN-ah) utilis (YOO-tihl-iss) | |||||||
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Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia. "Branch bearing rachillae." Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Borneo.
Description
Eugeissona utilis A stilt-root palm, is a very large, spiny palm forming large clusters up to 20 metres tall.
Culture
Plants succeed in moist tropical climates, where temperatures never fall below 10°c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500 mm or more, the driest month has a minimum of 25 mm of rain. Requires moist soil and a position in full sun. Propagation: Seed - pre-soak 24 hours in warm water, and sow in containers. Seed takes several months to germinate. Cold Hardiness Zone: 11
Comments and Curiosities
The plant is gathered from the wild by local people and utilized for food and other materials. A starch obtained from the pith of the stems, and is used to make sago of excellent quality, it's a starch used in cooking (like flour), it's beaten from the stems, with the expenditure of great labor, but yields a great deal of materials. Pollen is produced in abundance, and the violet colored pollen grains are eaten with rice or sago as a dessert. The terminal bud is edible. Eating the bud will lead to the death of that individual stem. The leaves are used for thatching the walls and roofs of dwellings. Editing by edric.
External Links
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.