Nikau palm

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Nikau palm
Nikau palm

Nikau palm

Systematics
Commelinids
Order : Palm- like arecales
Family : Palm family (Arecaceae)
Subfamily : Arecoideae
Genre : Rhopalostylis
Type : Nikau palm
Scientific name
Rhopalostylis sapida
H. Wendl. & Drude

The Nikau palm ( Rhopalostylis sapida ) is a species of the palm family (Arecaceae) that is widespread in New Zealand . No other palm species grows in the wild in even more southern latitudes.

Description and use

This type of palm reaches heights of up to 15 meters. Their trunk has a clearly recognizable ring structure and ends at the top in a thickening of up to one meter in length with smooth bark. The leaves reach a length of up to 2.5 meters. Each leaf consists of numerous narrow partial leaves that can be up to 1 meter long.

The flowering time is in summer from November to April, and the Nikau palm bears fruit from February to November. So these take almost a year to mature. These fruits are the preferred food of the Kererū, the Maori fruit pigeon .

The Māori , the indigenous people of New Zealand, used the palm fronds of the Nikau palm to cover their houses.

Occurrence and origin of name

The Nikau palm is the only species of palm indigenous to New Zealand. Their natural range is the coastal region and lower forest areas of the North Island , and on the South Island north of a line from Okarito in the west and the Banks Peninsula in the east. It is also found on the Chatham Islands southeast of New Zealand, especially on Pitt Island , where it is the southernmost palm species worldwide at 44 ° S.

The name "Nīkau" comes from the Māori language ; in other Polynesian languages , nīkau is a name for the leaves of the coconut palm .

Another name interpretation is "without nuts", alluding to the lack of coconut seeds.

photos

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Department of Conservation, New Zealand, Nikau palm : http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/about-doc/concessions-and-permits/conservation-revealed/nikau-palm-lowres.pdf (PDF File, 312 kB).

Web links

Commons : Nikau-Palme  - album with pictures, videos and audio files