Iguanura geonomiformis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Iguanura geonomiformis (Griffith) Mart.

Family: Palmae

Synonyms

Iguanura malaccensis Becc., I. wallichiana (Wallich ex Mart.) Hook.f. subsp. malaccensis (Becc.) Kiew var. malaccensis , I. wallichiana (Wallich ex Mart.) Hook.f. subsp. malaccensis (Becc.) Kiew var. elatior Kiew.

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: pinang burong, pinang kelasak, pinang tikus (Peninsular)
• Thailand: pinaeduekong, pinaebong (Malay, peninsular).

Distribution

Thailand (peninsular), Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Borneo (Sarawak).

Uses

The seeds are used as an inferior substitute for those of areca palm ( Areca catechu L.). The cabbage is edible. The roots and leaves have been taken by women as a contraceptive.

Observations

A small, usually clustered pleonanthic, monoecious palm up to 5 m tall; stem up to 2(-3) cm thick. Leaves steeply ascending, entire to lobed or pinnate with up to 20 segment pairs, not abscissing; sheath fibrous; blade (35-)50-85(-100) cm × (10-)20-30(-40) cm, that of simple leaves smaller. Inflorescence interfoliar, spicate, about 20-90 cm long, sometimes forking into 2-7 branches, protandrous, bearing spirally arranged triads of 2 male and 1 female flowers that are sunken in the rachilla; peduncle 20-50 cm long; flowers sessile, with 3 sepals and 3 petals, all imbricate; male flower 2-2.5 mm long, with 6 stamens; female flower about 3 mm long, petals cream and fleshy, ovary 1-locular with a single ovule, stigmas 3, sessile, projecting beyond the petals. Fruit an ellipsoid drupe, about 1 cm × 0.8 cm, white maturing red. Seed with ruminate endosperm. I. geonomiformis is restricted to undergrowth of rain forest along streams, pools and other damp sites, up to 1200 m altitude, and is tolerant of waterlogging.

Selected sources

15, 35, 36, 42, 59, 68.

Authors

M.S.M. Sosef