Daemonorops periacantha
Miq.
President and Fellows of Harvard College
President and Fellows of Harvard College
President and Fellows of Harvard College
What to Eat
Edible parts: Palm heart, Fruit, Shoots
Fruit. The pulpy flesh is acid or sweetish with a refreshing taste. The apical bud is eaten as a vegetable. A sweet flavour. The immature seed, which is impregnated with tannins, can be used as a substitute for the Areca nut. The areca nut is used in some areas of the tropics as a masticatory, being mixed with the leaves of a pepper plant (Piper betle), a gum and, often, lime.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in lowland hills and up to 1,000 m above sea level.
Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sarawak, SE Asia, Singapore,
How to Identify
A cane or rattan. It is stout. It forms clusters and the stems can be 10 m long. The stem without the leaf sheath is 15 mm across.
How to Grow
Most species in this genus are more or less vigorous climbing plants in rainforests. In general, they are likely to grow best with their roots in the shade but with enough gap in the canopy to encourage their stems to grow up towards the light. They are also likely to grow best in a humus-rich soil. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Other Uses
The split stems are used as a tying material for sewing up fish traps. The stem, without leaf-sheaths, is up to 15mm in diameter; with the sheaths it is 30 - 80mm in diameter. The long and slender stems of rattan are put to various uses according to their size, length, flexibility, elasticity and toughness. The most slender canes are employed entire for binding purposes, and in making chairs, blinds, mats, wicker or basketwork, fishing implements, etc. Twisted together, they make very strong cables. The largest and more resistent canes are used entire as cables, the framework of wicker chairs etc. Usually, however, for many purposes the stems are split throughout their length into 2 - 4 or more strips from which the inner soft brittle and spongy portion is removed by means of a knife or same other instrument, so as to leave the external portion, which is hard, tough, flexible, elastic and has its outer surface very clean and smooth as if it had been varnished. Strips vary in width according to the use to which they are to be put. Those for delicate work, such as the network of furniture, small bags, hats, etc, are from 1 - 3mm wide; those employed as lashings in native housebuilding or in fastening the removable head of the Malay axe to its handle are from 5-6 mm wide. Collecting and preparing the stems is very simple. The stem is cut near the ground and detached from the trees by taking a strong hold of its base and thus pulling down the entire plant with its leaves. The most recent growth at the top of the plant is removed and then, handling it from the upper end, the stem is forcibly drawn in the opposite direction between two pieces of wood, thus removing the spiny coverings. It is then cut into lengths of about 5 metres, each piece is bent into two equal parts and the stems are fastened into bundles ready for market. The most valued stems are not thicker than a man's little finger and have a fine polished straw-yellow glassy surface.
Notes
There are 115 Daemonorops species.
Names & Synonyms
Huwi kapui-kapui, Rotan belubu, Rotan gelang, Rotan pakak, Uwi landak, Wi empunah, Wi empunok
References (9)
- Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 763
- Chai, P. P. K. (Ed), et al, 2000, A checklist of Flora, Fauna, Food and Medicinal Plants. Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak. Forestry Malaysia & ITTO. p 163, 169
- Dransfield, J., 1992, The Rattans of Sarawak, Kew. p 65
- Haynes, J., & McLaughlin, J., 2000, Edible palms and Their Uses. University of Florida Fact sheet MCDE-00-50-1 p 5
- Johnson, D.V., 1998, Tropical palms. Non-wood Forest products 10. FAO Rome. p 18, 66
- Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 210
- Milow, P., et al, 2013, Malaysian species of plants with edible fruits or seeds and their evaluation. International Journal of Fruit Science. 14:1, 1-27
- PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia) handbook, Volume 6, 1993, Rattans
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (As Calamus periacanthus)
