Heterospathe elata
Heterospathe elata
The Sagisi palm (Heterospathe elata Scheff., 1876) is an arboreal species belonging to the Arecaceae family.
Systematic –
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Liliopsida,
Subclass Arecidae,
Order Arecales,
Arecaceae family,
Subfamily Arecoideae,
Tribe Areceae,
Genus Heterospathe,
Species H. elata.
The terms are synonymous:
– Areca pisifera (Gaertn.) Rollisson;
– Euterpe pisifera Gaertn.;
– Heterospathe elata var. elata;
– Heterospathe elata var. guamensis Becc.;
– Heterospathe elata var. palauensis (Becc.) Becc.;
– Heterospathe palauensis Becc.;
– Heterospathe pisifera (Gaertn.) Burret;
– Metroxylon elatum Scheff..
In addition to the nominal species, the following variety is recognised:
– Heterospathe elata var. palauensis (Becc.) Becc. ex Martelli.
Etymology –
The term Heterospathe comes from the Greek “ἕτερος” (heteros), meaning “different” or “different” and spathe; this part of the term comes from the Greek “σπάθη” (spathē), meaning “spathe” or “sheath”, a term commonly used in botany to refer to structures that envelop or protect other parts of the plant, such as the bracts that envelop a inflorescence.
The specific epithet elata comes from the Latin elatus which means high, with reference to the single, tall trunk of this palm.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Heterospathe elata is a palm native to South-East Asia: from Indonesia to the Philippines and Micronesia.
Its habitat is that of the lowland forest and it spreads in the ravines and slopes of central Guam.
Description –
The Heterospathe elata is a palm with a solitary stem that grows up to 15 m in height, with a pleasant appearance.
The leaves are pinnately composed, meaning that the leaf is divided into many leaflets arranged along the length of the leaf’s rachis. The leaves arch gracefully, are 3 m long and bear up to 65 pairs of narrow leaflets.
The inflorescence typically develops within the foliage and contains groups of three unisexual staminate (pollen-producing) and pistillate (ovule-producing) flowers. The staminate flowers are asymmetrical and contain up to 36 stamens. Pistillate flowers contain sterile stamens that do not produce pollen.
The fruit is white in colour, spherical (0.75 cm in diameter) and has a thin wall.
The seeds are usually between 1 and 2 centimeters long. Their size may vary slightly depending on the growing conditions of the mother plant. They have an oval or ellipsoidal shape, slightly tapered at the ends. When ripe they are dark brown in color. Before ripening, they can be green or yellowish.
Cultivation –
Heterospathe elata is a palm that is collected in nature and used to make hats, baskets, etc.
The plant is occasionally cultivated in the Philippines and is a decidedly ornamental plant which therefore deserves more extensive cultivation.
The plants are best suited to the tropics, but grow well in a warm, subtropical location.
It prefers a warm, sheltered, moist location and grows well in rich, sandy soil with plenty of organic matter.
This palm does best in partial to full shade growing conditions. It is initially a slow growing plant, however, once the trunk is formed it can grow quite quickly. When ripe it continuously produces small white fruits. It is drought tolerant but cannot tolerate exposure to salt spray.
Reproduction occurs by seed. Seeds require a warm, moist environment to germinate. It is advisable to plant them in a well-draining substrate and maintain a constant temperature between 25 and 30 °C. Germination can take several weeks or months, depending on environmental conditions.
Customs and Traditions –
Heterospathe elata is a plant known as Sagisi Palm (English).
It is an attractive palm that could be grown as an ornamental.
Recent research on the genus Heterospathe, based on morphological and molecular data, indicates that it is a monophyletic genus, meaning that all species of this genus evolved from a single common ancestor. The genus Alsmithia, which contains only one species, is nested in Heterospathe. Two clades or groups of Heterospathe species are recognized, a Pacific clade containing Heterospathe elata as well as species from Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and a second clade containing only species from Papua New Guinea.
The genus Heterospathe contains approximately 28 species with a center of diversity in Papua New Guinea and a distribution in Fiji, Indonesia, Micronesia, Maluku, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
Sagisi palm seeds are used as a substitute for betel nut (Areca catechu).
Among other uses it is reported that: Leaflets are widely used to make sun hats known as Salokots or to make wicker.
The petioles (leaf stems) are used as slats in basket making.
Preparation Method –
Heterospathe elata is a plant used both to obtain various materials and for edible use, furthermore, as mentioned, it can be grown for ornamental use.
For edible use the small, hard seeds are chewed as a substitute for betel nuts (Areca catechu).
The palm heart (apical shoot) is consumed as a vegetable; however, consumption of the apical bud leads to the death of the tree as it is unable to produce lateral shoots.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Heterospathe_elata_4zz.jpg
– https://sernecportal.org/imglib/seinet/sernec/BRIT_NLU/NLU0039/NLU0039130.jpg
Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.