Arecaceae FAMILY

Nannorrhops ritchieana

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Nannorrhops ritchieana is a clump-forming evergreen palm producing a cluster of stems up to 8 metres tall and 60cm in diameter, though the stem is sometimes short and subterranean. Each stem is topped by a cluster of fan-shaped leaves. Inflorescences up to 250cm long are produced, after which an individual stem will die, though it usually produces offsets. The plant can form large colonies[ 1968 Title Palms of Southern Asia Publication Author Henderson A. Publisher Princeton University Press, New York Year 2009 ISBN 978-0-691-13449-9 Description An excellent concise guide ]. The plant is a very important traditional crop, being harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is still widely utilized in northern Pakistan as a source of materials for weaving mats, baskets, shoes and a wide range of other goods - these are both for personal use and also for trade in local markets[ 1973 Title Mazri (Nannorrhops ritchiana (Griff) Aitch.): a remarkable source of manufacturing traditional handicrafts, goods an Publication Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2020) 16:45 Author Abdullah et al Website https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-020-00394-0 Publisher Year 2020 ISBN Description ]. The plant is often grown as an ornamental in the more arid regions of the temperate zone.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeW. Asia - southern Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

HabitatArid, open areas, often on limestone soils, at elevations up to 1,500 metres[ 1968 Title Palms of Southern Asia Publication Author Henderson A. Publisher Princeton University Press, New York Year 2009 ISBN 978-0-691-13449-9 Description An excellent concise guide ]. Open, sparsely vegetated semi-arid desert regions where there is a water table close enough to the surface to provide a continuous supply of moisture[ 231 Title Palms for Cooler Climates. Publication Author McMillan-Browse. P. Publisher Trebah Enterprises. Year 1993 ISBN 0 9521952 0 8 Description An excellent little booklet on the subject, though it does not mention many plant uses. ].