Phoenix reclinata Jacq.

Clustering, very rarely solitary palm, often forming dense thickets with trunks ultimately to 10 m. or more tall, ± 15 cm. diameter, occasionally flowering while still acaulescent.. Trunk dull brown, free of leaf-sheaths below, with persistent leaf-sheaths above, in uppermost 1–2 m. irregularly marked with oblique leaf-scars, and bearing persistent leaf-bases; injured stem exuding a clear yellowish gum.. Crown of ± 25 green leaves or more, dead leaves frequently rather long-persistent. Leaf to 2.5 m. long, bright shiny green, not glaucous, arcuate; true petiole ± 15 cm., with coarse red-brown sacking-like sheath; apparent petiole ± 50 cm. long by 2.5 cm. wide, armed with fanned irregularly arranged acanthophylls to 6 cm. long by 4 mm. wide; leaflets ± 120 on each side of the rachis, arranged very stiffly and regularly above, grouped below in 2’s–4’s, fanned, to 25 cm. long by 2 cm. wide, pointed, occasionally sharply so, when old splitting along the main vein, when young bearing caducous white indumentum on the lower surface.. Inflorescences with prophyll 20–50 cm. long by 7–10 cm. wide, often long persisting, frequently splitting longitudinally into 2 halves, bright orangey brown at anthesis, fading to dull grey-brown, covered with flocculent caducous grey-brown indumentum when young.. Peduncle of ♂ inflorescence not greatly elongating, sometimes scarcely emerging from the bract, 10–30 cm. long by ± 1.5 cm. wide, greatly compressed; rachillae 40–70 in number, arranged in groups and partial spirals, to 15 cm. long, usually much less, 2.5 mm. in diameter near the base, tapering to 1.5 mm. distally.. Male flowers creamy white, rapidly turning brown, musty scented; calyx ± 1 mm. high; petals ± 6–7 mm. long, acute, fleshy, somewhat dentate towards the tip, the tip slightly reflexed at anthesis; stamens 6, slightly shorter than the petals, pale brown.. Female inflorescence emerging from the bract and often greatly elongating after anthesis, with the fruiting rachillae pendulous; rachillae ± 40–60, 15–40 cm. long, bearing up to 40 greenish flowers, singly or in small groups.. Female flowers greenish, rounded, ± 2 mm. in diameter; calyx ± 1.5 mm. high; petals rounded ± 2 mm. by 2 mm.; carpels 3, ± 2 mm. high, the stigmas reflexed, just emerging from the tightly imbricating petals.. Fruit almost always developed from 1 carpel only, very rarely all 3 developing; calyx in fruit to 2 mm. high; petals in fruit to 5 mm. high by 8 mm. wide; fruit 1.3–1.7 cm. long by 0.9–1.3 cm. wide, varying from pale yellow to orange or dull red; epicarp smooth; mesocarp 1–2 mm. thick, dry or moist and sweet.. Seed 1–1.2 cm. long by 0.6–0.8 cm. wide, deeply grooved along one side; embryo lateral.. Fig.1.

A tropical plant. It suits damp spots in tropical and warm places. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. They are often along river banks in low-lying open grassland. It can adapt to a wide range of conditions. In Madagascar it grows from sea level to 3300 m altitude. In Kenya it grows from sea level to 2,600 m altitude. It is salt tolerant. It can grow in arid places. In Melbourne Botanical Gardens. It suits plant hardiness zones 9-11. In Townsville palmetum.

The sap of the fruit stalk is tapped to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The fruit can be eaten when ripe. The green fruit are immersed in water for a few hours and they then become bright red and their pulp becomes sweet and edible. The end leaf bud is eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are used as a coffee substitute. The seed kernel is used in cereal based preparations.

Plants are easily grown from seed. The seed should be cleaned of all flesh. They are then best soaked before planting. They transplant easily. They can also be grown from suckers.