Arenga wightii

Arenga (ah-REN-gah)
wightii (white'-ee)

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Arenga (ah-REN-gah)
Species:	wightii (white'-ee)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Asia

Morphology

Habit:	Clustering
Leaf type:	Pinnate
Height:	Up to 6 m tall.

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

Wight's Sago Palm, Vernacular names: Tamil: Alam panei, Ala panai, Kattu thengai. Malayalam: Alathil thenga, Alattiltenna, Karampana, Karampanai, Kattu thengu, Kattuthenna, Malan thengu, Malam tengu, Panei. Kannada: Dhadashi. English: Wild Coconut.

Habitat and distribution

Arenga wightiiis endemic to India.

Kannur, India.

Common on steep slopes in low, and medium elevation wet evergreen forests, up to 1500 m. Endemic to the Western_Ghats- South and Central Sahyadris.

Description

This is a monoecious palm. Trunk & Bark: Trunk clustering, color grey, densely clothed with the black fibrous remains of the newly opened frond. Leaves: Leaves compound, pinnate, 3.5-8 m long; leaflets to 30-100 cm x 2-2.5 cm, linear ensiform, apical one often confluent and obconic, apex narrowed, sometimes shortly, unequally 2-lobed, base asymmetricaly auricled, dark green above, glaucous beneath, margin entire or toothed in the upper half. Inflorescence / Flower: Male and female spadices separated, 1 m long. Fruit and Seed : Berry, hard, globose; 2-3 seeded.

Culture

Comments and Curiosities

Wight's Sago Palm is a threatened Indian palm species. Trunk is up to 6 m tall, grey, densely clothed with the black fibrous remains of the leaf sheaths. Leaves are compound, pinnate, 3.5-8 m long. Leaflets are up to 30-100 cm x 2-2.5 cm, linear ensiform, apical one often confluent and obconic, apex narrowed, sometimes shortly, unequally 2-lobed, base asymmetricaly auricled, dark green above, glaucous beneath, margin entire or toothed in the upper half. Male and female spadices separated, 1 m long. Berry is hard, spherical, 2-3 seeded. This palm is exploited for making brooms, palm wine and even a unique source of starch. Wight's Sago Palm is endemic to the Western Ghats - South and Central Sahyadris. (www.flowersofindia.net)

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 1998 - Vulnerable.