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Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav.
| Family Name: | Cyclanthaceae |
| Synonyms: | Carludovica palmata var. humilis Wawra & Bermann, Carludovica gigantea Kuntze, Carludovica incisa H.Wendl., Carludovica jamaicensis Lodd. ex Fawcett & Harris, Ludovia palmata (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., Salmia palmata (Ruiz & Pav.) Willd. |
| Common Name: | Panama Hat Palm, Hippa-happa, Toquilla, Toquilla Palm |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Herbaceous Plant |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Fountain (Palm-like) |
| Maximum Height | 4 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela,Northern Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Horticultural / Cultivated Only) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is an evergreen, palm-like herbaceous plant that grows up to 4 m tall, usually in clumps. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are fan-shaped and occasionally split into three to four lobes. The leaf blades can reach 50 - 80 cm long and wide, and the petioles (leaf stalks) can reach 1 - 3.5 m long. |
| Stems | It appears stemless but has short, underground stems. |
| Flowers | The Inflorescence is a spike or a spadix on a peduncle (central stalk on inflorescence), borne on the axils between leaves. The peduncle can reach up to 30 - 50 cm long. The spike is subtended by 3 - 4 spathes, where the lower spathes are green and coarse, and the upper spathes are off-white to greenish-white. The spike is made of several groups of five flowers, consisting of four male flowers surrounding one female in the centre. Each female flower produces four long, creamy-yellow staminodes (sterile stamens), which emit fragrance to attract pollinators. The female flowers mature at night and shed their staminodes as the male flowers mature on the second night. |
| Fruit | The infructescence is a syncarp (a mass of individual fruits fused together e.g. pineapple) up to 30 cm long and 5.5 cm wide, with the peduncle growing up to 1 m long during the fruiting phase. Individual fruits appear as yellow, tightly-fitting hexagonal cells. As the infructescence ripens, the fruiting layer 'peels' off from the top like a banana, revealing small, bright-red, berries with slimy seeds. |
| Habitat | It can be found in humid tropical rainforests from 0 - 1500m above sea level. It can also be found growing in sandy soils and among secondary vegetation. |
| Associated Fauna | In its native range, the flowers are pollinated by beetles and the seeds are dispersed by ants and rain. |
| Taxonomy | Despite its resemblance to palms, the Panama Hat Palm and other Cyclanthaceae members are more closely related to screwpines (Pandanaceae) than palms (Arecaceae or Palmae). |
| Cultivation | It grows best in semi-sun conditions or indirect, bright sunlight and prefers well-draining, loamy soil. Avoid constantly waterlogged conditions. |
| Etymology | The genus Carludovica is named in honour of Carlos (Charles) IV of Spain (1748 - 1819) and his wife, Maria Luisa (1751 - 1819). The specific epithet palmata refers to the palmate or hand-like leaves. The common name 'Panama Hat Palm' comes from the famous use of the plant to make Panama hats and the plant's resemblance to palms. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Edible Plant Parts : Edible Leaves, Edible Fruits Others: Food: In Ecuador, the basal portion of the unopened leaf buds are consumed by tribesmen, usually in salads and supposedly tasting of asparagus or palm hearts. The fruits are also edible but are less frequently eaten as compared to the leaf buds. Other Uses: The fibres from the petioles are used for roof thatching and weaving baskets, fish traps, and bird cages. The young, unopened buds are used to make Panama hats; the young, unopened buds are boiled and the fibres are combed into strips and sun-dried before being hand-woven into hats. Despite the name, the Panama hats are mostly made in Ecuador and the name arose from its popularity during the California gold rush in the mid 1800's and the construction of the Panama Canal 50 years later. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Form, Ornamental Foliage |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | General, Parks & Gardens |
| Thematic Landscaping | Naturalistic Garden |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) (Beetles) |
|---|---|
| Seed or Spore Dispersal | Biotic (Fauna) (Ants), Abiotic (Water) |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Semi-Shade, Full Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Fast to Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Pest(s) | Chewing Insects |
| Propagation Method | Seed, Sucker, Division |
| Propagation Method Remarks | If grown from seeds, the first leaves can be harvested after about 7 years, while if grown from suckers, the leaves can be harvested after 2 years. |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Spiral |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Palmate) |
| Foliar Venation | Palmate |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Acaulescent |
|---|---|
| Root Type | Underground (Fibrous Root) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual Flowers , Monoecious |
| Flower Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White, Yellow / Golden |
|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Radial |
| Inflorescence Type | Spathe & Spadix |
| Flower Transitional Changes | Form & Size |
| Ovary Position | Superior / Hypogynous |
| Flowering Opening Time | Night (dusk to dawn) |
| Flower Lifespan on Plant | One night |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
| Flowering Opening Time Remarks | Female flowers mature on the first night and shed their staminodes as the male flowers mature in the next night. |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Green, Red |
|---|---|
| Mature Fruit Texture(s) | Rough |
| Fruit Classification | Aggregate Fruit (Syncarp) |
| Fruit Type | |
| Mature Seed Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White |
| Seed Description | The seeds are irregularly cylindrical or nearly round, usually angular being 1.5 - 3 mm by 1 - 1.5 mm. |
References
| References | Bennett, B.C., Alarcón, R., Cerón, C., (1992). The Ethnobotany of Carludovica palmata Ruíz & Pavón (Cyclanthaceae) in Amazonian Ecuador. Economic Botany 46(3), The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458 U.S.A., pp. 233-240. Ong, H.C., (2003). Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav.. In: Brink, M and Escobin, R.P. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 17: Fibre plants. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. https://prosea.prota4u.org/view.aspx?id=6528. Accesse din 14 January 2025. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (continuously updated). Plants of the World Online | Kew Science. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:297578-1. Accessed in 14 January 2025. |
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Others
| Master ID | 487 |
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| Species ID | 1783 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |