Metroxylon amicarum

Floribunda Palms, Hawaii - Suchin Marcus for Scale.

Metroxylon (met-roks'-ih-lon)
amicarum (ahm-ee-KAR-oom)

Crown Close-up.

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Metroxylon (met-roks'-ih-lon)
Species:	amicarum (ahm-ee-KAR-oom)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Oceania

Morphology

Habit:	Solitary
Leaf type:	Pinnate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

English name: Ivory Nut Palm, Pohnpeian name: Oahs (Ohs), Chuukese name: Foun Rúpwúng, Rúpwúng

Habitat and Distribution

Endemic to the Caroline Is., Marianas. Usually found in wet, swampy areas and river sides. Found only on the Islands of Pohnpei and Chuuk.

Description

Growing to heights of 25 m (80 ft) or more. Leaf shape and morphology: Leaves are large (25-30 ft) in length. Divided once; leaflets are linear and parallel veined (3-4 ft. long), even pinnately compound. Leaflets pointing posterior arranged dorsally, unlike coconut palm that has its leaves arranged laterally. Entire but sharp leave margins. Stem type: Woody (lignified) stem often grows to heights 80 feet (25 m) or more. Prickly, large stem 3-5 ft. in diameter. Young ones are pubescent. Floral characteristics: Flowers on large inflorescence branches located axillary. Flowers are produced regularly which enables it to constantly bear fruits. Fruit: Round (4-6 in., 10-15 cm) in diameter. Fruit skin (exocarp) is scalelike. Fibrous mesocarp; white meat (endosperm) covering embryo. Embryo is soft when young and hardens when old. Unlike other botanically related palms in the genus Metroxylon, this palm tree flowers regularly for a number of years rather than flowering once and dying. Its large 10-15 cm (4-6 in) wide, round, scaly nuts are eaten by pigs. (comfsm.fm) Editing by edric.

Culture

Growing Comments: "All Metroxylon palms are large & impressive & all except M. amicarum will die after they produce flowers & fruit. They actually prefer swampy conditions, but still are excellent growers in our garden, where drainage is excellent. These are all relatively fast growers & two of our largest M. amicarum have grown from about one foot overall height to about 25 ft overall height in seven years, but no trunk yet. Growth rate is about a 6.0-7.0 on a scale of 1-10." (BGL)

Comments and Curiosities

Uses: Chuuk Island, Thatch sheets made out of the palm fronds of Rúpwúng are used in roofing and wall construction because they provide the longest lasting thatch. The binding rods, around which the individual leaflets are wrapped, are made from a swamp grass or reed called Woowo (Phragmites karka). The leaves also serve as brooms, and children sometimes make bats and balls out of the leaf base. Wood from the trunk of Rúpwúng is used to make house rafters and floorboards (for raised platforms in sleeping areas). Children sometimes use the leaf stalks (petioles) of the large leaves to make rafts. This attractive palm is a desirable ornamental plant and its hard nut, which is used as a vegetable source for a material resembling ivory, could become a valuable export item in the future. During Japanese times buttons were made from it." (comfsm.fm)

Pohnpei Island, The word for "roof" in Pohnpeian is Oahs, which follows from the fact that the leaves of this palm are the main source of roof thatch on Pohnpei. This attractive native palm is a desirable ornamental plant and its hard nut, as a vegetable source for ivory, may become a valuable export item in the future. Oahs also has traditional value as a source of medicine. There are three native palm tree species on Pohnpei. Oahs is the tallest. Thus, if someone is born of Nanmwarki line (blood from the mother's side, Neinneinioahs Soupeidi), the child will grow up to be as tall, or more importantly, as high in rank as his forebearers ‑‑ an honorific, with symbolic reference to this tall native palm tree. [From web, Uses: Ivory leaves are a main source of roof thatch on Pohnpei. The fruit (white meat) is eaten by pigs. Young leaves and stem cork (phellem) are important sources of local medicine. (comfsm.fm)

“The roots are use for medicine. For example when a person got injured the roots of the Oahs is the best thing for treatment. The stem of this plant is use for floorboards of local huts and also for support of the huts roof." (comfsm.fm)

"The Oahs plant is also considered the most important plant here in Pohnpei. It is an indigenous plant for it has been here for thousands of years. On the other hand, according to the legend there's a story about how Oahs plant came to and its importances. According to the legend ,way back in the early centuries when Pohnpei was built there weren't any tree on Pohnpei. People live in houses of rocks with no roofs. By then there was a lady who came from somewhere and found out that these people live under rocks with no roofs so she went back to her place and sent an Oahs plant by some form of magic. So those people of that time used the leave for roof and the rest of the plant for some other significance uses. Nowadays we still consider Oahs as an important plant for all its important uses. All the parts of the plant have their own special uses like the roots, the stem the fruits, seeds, the flowers and even the leaves. The roots are use for medicine. For example when a person got injured the roots of the Oahs is the best thing for treatment. The stem of this plant is use for floorboards of local huts and also for support of the huts roof. The fruits but especially the white part is use for feeding pigs and shrimp. The small flowers which turn into the fruits is the food for the birds. The leaves are use for local medicine also and thatch roof. The floral bracts of this plant is use for carrying sakau, use for making toy. Also birds like to make their nest on top part of the plant. So to sum up the uses of the plant include treating sicknesses, for house roofs and floors and carrying other heavy things like sakau." (comfsm.fm)

External Links

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.

Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos, edric.

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).