Caryota maxima
Solitary palm tree to 20–30 m tall. Stem 40–70 cm diam., not swollen, internodes 30–45 cm long. Leaves 10–20, forming a rather loose, elliptic crown in outline; sheath 1.5–1.7 m long, green with dense greyish to pale brown tomentum; petiole 20–50 cm long; rachis 2.5–5 m long, curved, with 15–27 pinnae on each side, evenly distributed in one plane, curved to drooping apically, divided in 15–30 pinnules on each side, pinnules drooping, up to 35 cm, more than 4 times as long as wide, greyish green on both sides, praemorse distally. Inflorescences 3–5; peduncle 1–1.5 m long, strongly curved distally; rachis to 1.5–3 m long, drooping, rachillae 80–170, 1–2 m long, drooping. Fruit globose, 2–2.5 cm diam. Seeds mostly one per fruit, endosperm ruminate. Seedling leaves bifid.
This species is widespread but locally rare. It is threatened by habitat destruction.
A stunted form growing on limestone has been referred to a separate species C. bacsonensis. Since we have recorded no character that can unambiguously define this species in Thailand it is synonymised in C. maxima here.
Global — S. China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java (type).
Thailand — NORTHERN: Nan; PENINSULAR: Nakhon Si Thammarat.
In the Peninsula this palm typically occurs in hill evergreen forest, to 1500 m; further north it can occur at lower altitude in evergreen forest; rarely associated with limestone.
The timber is sometimes used for house construction. The cabbage is edible and the leaf sheath fibres used as tinder.