Arenga engleri

MP-0018 / 0024 — Arecaceae

Arenga engleri Becc.
Kurotsugu (JP)

A clumping native palm of Ryukyu forests, its trunk wrapped in black leaf-sheath fibre.

Distribution

Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan.

Habitat

Understorey and margins of subtropical evergreen forest, on valley slopes and in shaded gaps.

Morphology

A clustering (multi-stemmed) palm 2–4 m tall. The stems are covered with the black fibres of persistent leaf sheaths. Pinnate leaves are long and arching, with leaflets that are dark green above and silvery-white beneath.

Botanical notes

The black fibre of the leaf sheath (kuro = black) has been used for cordage and brushes. The palm is one of the few native palms of the Ryukyu forests and is a characteristic plant of the Yambaru understorey.

References

Taxonomy and distribution follow Plants of the World Online (Kew), YList (Yonekura & Kajita) and regional floras; CITES Species+ for trade status. Descriptions are provisional and are revised as specimens are verified.