Arecaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Phytelephas seemannii

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Phytelephas seemannii is a single-stemmed, evergreen palm tree growing up to 10 metres tall. The unbranched stem is at first decumbent or creeping along the ground, but at length, under favourable conditions and age, it becomes erect and perhaps up to 4 metres tall and 40cm or more thick. At any one time it bears about 20 living, erect leaves which are often 6 metres long, with about 100 narrow segments[ 368 Title Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 30 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis. Year 1943 ISBN Description Contains parts of the Flora of Panama.This, and other volumes of the series, are available for download from the Internet. , 469 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 27 Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institute; Washington. Year 1928 ISBN Description Contains a Flora of the Panama Canal zone , 768 Title Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas Publication Author Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R. Publisher Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey. Year 1995 ISBN 0-691-08537-4 Description An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos. ]. The plant is harvested for local use as a food and source of thatch. The seeds of this and various other species of vegetable ivory palms are commonly gathered from the wild and exported in large quantities from Panama and South America, to be used as a substitute for ivory - a great variety of articles being fashioned from them[ 469 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 27 Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institute; Washington. Year 1928 ISBN Description Contains a Flora of the Panama Canal zone ]. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeNorthern S. America - Colombia; and Central America - Panama.

HabitatWet forests[ 469 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 27 Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institute; Washington. Year 1928 ISBN Description Contains a Flora of the Panama Canal zone ]. An understorey plant in lowland rain forest; forming large, dense, homogeneous stands on alluvial soils; at elevations up to 200 metres[ 768 Title Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas Publication Author Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R. Publisher Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey. Year 1995 ISBN 0-691-08537-4 Description An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos. ].