Salacca wallichiana
Large clustering palm, up to 12 m tall. Stem creeping to 5 m long and 20 cm diam., with many adventitious roots. Leaves 12–18 per stem; sheath to 1 m long; petiole 5–7.5 m long, sheath and petiole heavily armed with more or less complete whorls of up to 8 cm long, black spines; rachis 5–7 m long; leaflets 40–60 per side, clustered in groups of 2–5 and pointing in different directions, sigmoid, 70–100 x c. 8 cm, acuminate, apical pair of leaflets coherent, not split and wide. Inflorescences 2–3 per stem, lateral, emerging though groove on the abaxial side of the leaf base; male inflorescence 2–3 m long, pendulous often lying on the ground, with 10 first order branches, each bearing 10 spike-like, reddish, up to 10 cm long, hairy rachillae; female inflorescences up to 0.7 m long, with fewer branches, each bearing spike-like rachillae similar to those of the male inflorescence. Fruits 7–8 x 4–5 cm, obovoid, densely covered with reddish brown, spine-like scales.
This widespread, common species is unlikely to be under threat.
There are three forms known: the typical one, one with a complete absence of spines on the leaf sheath, petiole, and rachis, and an unarmed form.
Global — Myanmar, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra. Type: cultivated plant of unknown origin, WALLICH s.n., isotype K.
Thailand — SOUTH-EASTERN: Chonburi, Chanthaburi, Trat; PENINSULAR: Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Satun, Narathiwat.
In swampy areas.
Edible fruits.