Areca tunku
Solitary palm, up to 5 m tall and 5 cm diam. Leaves 8–12 in crown; leaf sheath forming a brownish green up to 45 cm long crownshaft; petiole 15–20 cm long, green glabrous; rachis up to 2.5 m long, with 5–15 or rarely more pinnae on each side, longest pinnae on the mid portion up to 70 cm long. Inflorescence branched to first order (rarely to second), peduncle 2–3 cm long, rachis 10–15 cm, flowering branches up to 15, distichously arranged, stiffly upright, dark purplish to brown, 15–30 cm long. Male flowers paired or solitary, with 6 stamens. Fruit ellipsoid to ovoid, 3–4.5 x 1.5–3 cm, purplish green to brown.
A rare palm that is probably particularly vulnerable to forest disturbance.
A spectacular species; the inflorescences are very striking with their thick dull reddish thick rachillae held stiffly in a fan and contrasting white flowers.
Global — Peninsular Malaysia (type) and Sumatra.
Thailand— PENINSULAR: Narathiwat.
Hill evergreen forest on hill slopes up to 800 m elevation.
Not recorded.