Caroline Ivory Nut Palm

Medicinal Uses

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Apical bud  Seed  Stem | Edible Uses: Sago is sometimes prepared from the pith of this tree. It is said to keep well and not to be injured by salt water[459 ]. It is considered a valuable food to take on canoe journeys[459 ]. Not as productive as the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu), it is more likely to be viewed as an emergency food[312 ]. The apical meristems or palm hearts are large and soft. The trees may be harvested prior to maturation exclusively for this purpose, with the meristem and several feet of the immature leaves being used. These palm hearts are used locally or are sold in local markets. They are eaten raw as a vegetable or cooked with other foods, often in curries[312 ]. Harvesting the palm heart leads to the death of the tree since it is unable to produce side branches[K ]. Immature seeds are sometimes eaten by children[312 ].

Cultivation

Industrial Crop: Vegetable ivory  Management: Managed Multistem  Regional Crop  Staple Crop: Basic StarchA plant of the humid, tropical, lowland forests, able to succeed at elevations up to 700 metres[312 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 5,000mm, and does not tolerate more than a short dry period[312 ]. It prefers a mean annual temperature of around 25°c with a minimum of 17°c. It is not tolerant of frost, though it can succeed in cooler areas of the tropics such as Hawaii, but then grows more slowly[312 ]. Prefers a relatively sunny position[312 ]. Succeeds in a wide range of soils, preferring medium to heavy soils with somewhat impeded drainage[312 ]. It can persist on well drained, poor quality materials including sand, clay, or 'aï' lava[312 ]. It will grow in soil that is periodically inundated by salt water as long as fresh water flow is more prevalent[312 ]. Plants are not very tolerant of water shortage, but nor do they like inundation for more than short periods[312 ]. Succeeds in a wide range of pH, from 4 - 7.4[312 ]. Plants are tolerant of strong, salt-laden winds[312 ]. Plants usually take 12 - 15 years to come to flowering maturity from seed, though in ideal conditions this can be reduced to about 10 years[312 ]. Unlike other members of this genus, which flower once and then die, this species is able to flower for a number of years before dying[312 ]. The seeds can be transported by water from one island to another[312 ]. Judging by the plants natural range, the seed viability is likely to be fairly short in salt water[K ]. Spacing: 20-30 ft. (6-9 m) 30-40 ft. (9-12 m).

Known Hazards

Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling

Habitats

Moist forest at elevations up to 550 metres in mountainous areas[338 ]. Freshwater wetlands, either coastal or moist upland rainforest[312 ].