Caryota obtusa

Caryota obtusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Caryota
Species:	C. obtusa
Binomial name
Caryota obtusa Griff.
Synonyms [1]
Caryota rumphiana var. indicaBecc. Caryota gigasHahn ex Hodel Caryota obtusidentataGriff.

Caryota obtusa is a species of flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae . ^{[1] [2]} It is native to India, Laos and Thailand. The palm is commonly called giant fishtail palm or Thai giant caryota. It can reach 20 meters or more in height and is thus considered a tree. It is monocarpic meaning it flowers once, then dies. Its inflorescence can reach 6 meters or more in length.

Description

This palm usually produces a single stem with several leaves on its crown, and their stems are extremely hard, with even power tools such as chainsaws struggling to cut through their tough wood. Its leaves are bipinnate and often reach lengths of 20-25 feet in length, and produce fishtail shaped leaflets. Their peduncles are often wide and are a vivid green in color, and their flowers are often a creamy white. Their fruits are highly toxic due to their irritating oxalates, and when their fruits are ripe, they often turn reddish. ^[3]

References

1. "Caryota obtusa Griff". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
2. "Caryota obtusa Griff". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
3. "Caryota obtusa - Palms For California". www.palmpedia.net. Retrieved 2025-06-29.

External Links

• World Checklist of Monocotyledons, Caryota obtusa Griff., Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 5: 480 (1845). Accessed 30 April 2008.
• International Plant Names Index, Arecaceae Caryota obtusa Griff. Accessed 30 April 2008.
• Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia, Caryota - The Big Ones. Accessed 30 April 2008.
• Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database, Sorting Caryota Names. Accessed 30 April 2008.