Hyphaene coriacea
Hyphaene coriacea
The doum palm or gingerbread tree, ilala palm, lala palm (Hyphaene coriacea Gaertn. 1788) is an arboreal species belonging to the Arecaceae family.
Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Liliopsida,
Subclass Arecidae,
Order Arecales,
Arecaceae family,
Subfamily Coryphoideae,
Tribe Borasseae,
Subtribe Hyphaeninae,
Genus Hyphaene,
Species H. coriacea.
The terms are synonymous:
– Chamaeriphes coriacea (Gaertn.) Kuntze;
– Chamaeriphes shatan (Bojer ex Dammer) Kuntze;
– Chamaeriphes turbinata (H.Wendl.) Kuntze;
– Corypha africana Lour.;
– Hyphaene baronii Becc.;
– Hyphaene beccariana Furtado;
– Hyphaene coriacea var. minor Drude;
– Hyphaene hildebrandtii Becc.;
– Hyphaene natalensis Kuntze;
– Hyphaene oblonga Becc.;
– Hyphaene parvula Becc.;
– Hyphaene pileata Becc.;
– Hyphaene pleuropoda Becc.;
– Hyphaene pyrifera Becc.;
– Hyphaene pyrifera var. arenicola Becc.;
– Hyphaene pyrifera var. gosciaensis (Becc.) Becc.;
– Hyphaene pyrifera var. margaritensis Becc.;
– Hyphaene shatan Bojer;
– Hyphaene shatan Bojer ex Dammer;
– Hyphaene spaerulifera Becc.;
– Hyphaene spaerulifera var. gosciaensis Becc.;
– Hyphaene tetragonoides Furtado;
– Hyphaene turbinata H.Wendl.;
– Hyphaene turbinata var. ansata Becc.;
– Hyphaene wendlandii Dammer.
Etymology –
The term Hyphaene comes from the Greek “ὑφαίνω” (hyphaino), that is, to weave, to intertwine, with probable reference to the intertwining of fibers in the pulp of the fruit.
The specific epithet coriacea comes from the Latin “coriaceus, a, um”, i.e. coriaceous, in reference to the “peel” of the fruits.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Hyphaene coriacea is a palm native to central-southern eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, north-eastern South Africa and Tanzania), Juan de Nova and western Madagascar.
Its habitat is that of savannahs, along the coasts, near rivers, lakes and marshy areas or wherever there is water available underground, at low altitudes, on predominantly sandy soils.
Description –
Hyphaene coriacea is a variable dioecious tufted palm, sometimes solitary, which generally grows with 2-6 erect or decumbent stems, up to 7 m in length and 30 cm in diameter, sometimes branched dichotomously once or twice; these are gray in color and vertically cracked.
The leaves are strongly costapalmate; they are about 1 m long and 0.7-0.8 m wide, divided into 40-60 rigid linear-lanceolate segments with a slightly bifid sharp apex, 65-80 cm long in the central part and up to about 5 cm wide, joined at the base for less than 1/3 of their length, grayish green to bluish gray in color. The petiole is 0.6-1 m long and about 3 cm wide; it is provided with robust upward-curving blackish spines about 1 cm long at the edges; the leaf bases, about 40 cm long and fissured longitudinally at the petiole, are brown in color and covered with a greyish waxy patina, and remain on the plant for a long time.
The inflorescences are formed between the leaves with the male ones 0.6-1 m long, branched, with rachilles, solitary or in groups of 2-4, and greenish-yellow flowers arranged sunken in groups of 3, which open in succession, with 6 stamens. The female inflorescences are 0.8-1.6 m long, with 2-5 rachillae bearing solitary flowers, on a short hairy pedicel, with a tricarpellate gynoecium.
The fruits, which usually develop from a single carpel, are of very variable shape even in the same infructescence, from almost quadrangular to pyriform, about 6 cm long and 5 cm wide, of a shiny reddish brown color when ripe, with pulp fibrous.
Inside there is an ovoid seed about 3 cm long.
Cultivation –
Hyphaene coriacea is a very slow growing, ascending or prostrate evergreen palm and is one of the very few palm species that can branch, although it usually only branches once or twice to form four crowns of fan-shaped leaves.
The plant also has suckers and forms tufts.
It is an important plant for the local population in the semi-arid areas where it grows, providing food, drink and materials for making baskets, weaving, straw. etc. and the products obtained from the leaves are sold in local markets.
These palms thrive in humid tropical climates where temperatures never drop below 10°C, the average annual rainfall is 1,500 mm or more and the driest month has 25 mm or more of rain.
They can take root even in the driest areas with annual rainfall of less than 250 mm and in a month or more where rainfall is less than 25 mm.
The plants grow well in full sun, although small and prefer to grow in alluvial sands; in nature they are found on poorly drained, light, dry and low-fertility soils.
In general it can therefore be cultivated in full sun, even in the initial stages of growth, in tropical and subtropical climate zones, both humid and semi-arid, and in milder temperate-warm ones, where it can withstand occasional temperatures just below 0 °C for a very short period.
To obtain fruits and seeds it is necessary to cultivate dioecious forms, both male and female.
This plant is not common in botanical collections. Its ornamental interest lies in the low habit and mass of the leaves.
It matures slowly, taking 2 to 3 years. The particularly slow growth was perhaps the main cause of its low presence for a long time outside its areas of origin for ornamental purposes, despite its relatively small size and therefore more manageable compared to the other species of the genus.
The plant generally reproduces by seed, usually placed directly in the home or in containers 40-50 cm deep, given that the hypocotyl that develops from the seed, and at the end of which there is the embryo from which the plant will originate, is it pushes to these depths; the hypocotyl is particularly fragile, so great caution is required during the germination phase. To accelerate germination, which usually takes quite a long time, the seeds must be cleaned of the pulp and kept in water, changed daily, for 8-10 days. They must then be placed in sandy soil kept moist, but without stagnation, at a temperature of 28- 30°C; the first leaf, in the best cultivation conditions, will begin to emerge after about two months.
Customs and Traditions –
Hyphaene coriacea is a palm known by various common names; among these are: doum palm, gingerbread tree, ilala palm, lala palm (English); bar, makoma, mede, mkoma, mlala, qoone (Kenya); satrana, sata (Madagascar); anala, ilala, lilala, mulala, nnala (South Africa); kweche, mkoma, mkoma lume, mkonko, mlala, mulala (Tanzania).
The leaves are fibrous and are used to make hats, baskets and ropes. The fruits have edible pulp and are appreciated by elephants and macaques. Wine is obtained from the apical and succulent shoot.
The spongy pulp of the hard, brown fruit is edible, and the fruit is eaten and sold in Madagascar. The flavor has been compared to raisins and raisin bran.
Edible fruits represent an important food resource for fauna, especially baboons and elephants, which contribute to the dispersion of seeds.
This palm, widespread in eastern central-southern Africa, has a fundamental role, like congeneric species, in the life of local populations. The most used part are the leaves, from those still emerging, approximately 1/3 is removed, thus causing only minimal damage to the plant, from which, with an appropriate procedure, the fibers are obtained which are widely used to make mats, baskets, headgear and other commonly used and artistic craft objects, which also represent an economic resource for indigenous populations.
The fruits are edible, with a sweetish flavor reminiscent of ginger, but with very fibrous pulp, they are mostly intended for livestock feed; the endosperm of immature ones has a flavor similar to that of coconut.
From the pollarded stems, the sap is collected from which a very popular alcoholic drink is obtained, rich in vitamins, in particular B2, an operation which unfortunately causes the death of the plant or stem in tufted ones. The same outcome has the use of the vegetative apex and young shoots as a vegetable.
The fruit pulp is locally used in intestinal disorders. The endosperm of ripe fruits, particularly hard, is used to make small artisanal and artistic objects such as vegetable ivory. Finally, the fruits are an important food resource for fauna, in particular baboons and elephants, which contribute to the dispersion of the seeds.
Among other uses it is reported that the leaves are used for thatching or for weaving baskets, mats, etc.
A wide variety of baskets, mats, and other items can be made from leaf fibers.
The young, flexible leaves are harvested, taking only a third of the leaf, so that the rest can fully develop. They are boiled and then sun dried to soften them for weaving and can be colored using natural dyes.
Preparation Method –
Hyphaene coriacea is a palm tree of which many parts are used for food, medicinal and various uses.
The fruits are eaten raw, are very fibrous and constitute a poor food but very welcome to children.
The fruit takes two years to ripen, and then can hang on the tree for another two years before falling.
The liquid, or “milk”, of the immature seed is used as a drink; It has the flavor and color of coconut milk.
A sap obtained by tapping the crown of the plant is fermented into a poor-quality alcoholic drink.
It is said to taste like ginger beer when ripe.
Sap is collected by cutting the top of a growing stem and collecting the exudate. In due course the sap hardens on the wound and another layer of stem is cut away until finally the growing point is completely destroyed and the stem dies.
Often when this happens the tree sheds from the base, and so the individual plant is not killed.
The young shoots of the germinated seeds are eaten as vegetables.
In the medicinal field, the pulp of the fruit is used as a treatment against stomach ache.
The seeds are used as a source of vegetable ivory; they have texture and coloration very similar to South American vegetable ivory, and could be used for the same purposes to make ornaments, buttons, etc.
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://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/342037831/original.jpeg
– https://www.straussart.co.za/auctions/lot/30-nov-2021/677
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.