Caryota rumphiana

Caryota (kahr-ee-OH-tah)
rumphiana (room-pee-AHN-ah)

Hidden Valley, near Mt. Kaindi, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Caryota (kahr-ee-OH-tah)
Species:	rumphiana (room-pee-AHN-ah)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Asia

Morphology

Habit:	Solitary
Leaf type:	Bi-pinnate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

None.

Habitat and Distribution

Caryota rumphiana is found in the Bismarck Archipelago, Maluku, New Guinea,

Several large individuals of Caryota rumphiana in a clearing on Misima. Photo by Frederick B. Essig.

Philippines, Queensland, Solomon Is., and Sulawesi.

Moluccas, New Guinea, and Austrailia on the north-eastern Cape York Peninsula, from Cape York south, to the MacIllwraith Range, usually east of the Great Divide, and at altitudes below 600 meters. Caryota is a Caryotoid genus of 12 species occuring from India and Sri Lanka through south-east Asia to the Solomon Islands and Queensland. The only indigenous Australian species is not endemic, but has a wide distribution through parts of Malesia and Melanesia - C. rumphiana, the Australian population of which is refered to C. rumphiana var. australasica. Restricted to subequatorial monsoonal north-eastern Cape York Peninsula from Cape York south to the MacIllwraith Range, usually east of the Great Divide and at altitudes below 600 m. Commonly in lowland rainforest of varying soil types, i.e. sandy, basaltic, granitic and alluvial, on a range of aspects from flat to steep slopes. Also in semi-deciduous vine forests, broad-leaved swamp forests and brackish or fresh mangroves, contrary to previously published accounts (3). The present sp. occurs as infrequent to frequent scattered individuals or small to large groups, apparently never forming stands. It is particularly abundant in the Bamaga and Iron Range areas where it is a common but not dominant member of the rainforest communities. Pollenation is by insect, seed dispersal by flood, birds or mammals. In rainforest this species attains its maximum development, being smaller in all respects in vine forests (dry) or swamp-forests (wet).

Description

Trunk type: Solitary, Light Grey/Dark Tan, Widely Spaced Rings. Trunk diameter: To 45 cm (18"). Hight: To 18 meters (60 feet). Spread: To 6 meters (20 feet). Leaf detail: Pinnately compound, bipinnate, to 3 meters (10 feet) long, dark green, petiole up to 90 cm (36") long. Flower detail: Golden, drooping, mop like in appearance. Fruit detail: Round, 20 mm (0.75") across, Red/Pink To Dark Red/Black, seeds dark brown, approximately 1.75 centimeters (.5 inches) across. Editing by edric.