Caryota ID

[Peter G]

Hi Guys, could someone please give me a name for this Caryota.

Thanks in advance!

Peter

[Trava]

Marina!

[Peter G]

Marina!

[NApalm]

Arenga?

[Peter G]

Arenga?

I think you may be correct, those leaves are very long.

[Peter G]

This palm was sold as Caryota Obtusa. Can we rule that out?

[Peter G]

Arenga Engleri?

[Jeff Searle]

Yes, we can definitely rule out C. obtusa. And I wouldn't rule a lot of others out either, including Wallichia.

[DavidMac]

Caryota is a very confusing genus- when you consider that the juvenile foliage looks so similar when comparing a number of species and that other genera (Arenga and Wallichia) look much alike too....I can safely say.....drumroll please.....that this is very definitely....a Fishtail Palm I really think that this is a Caryota though due to the morphology of the leaflets.

[richnorm]

Looks like an arenga to me, certainly not c. obtusa. Any sign of suckering at the base?

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Looks a lot like my Wallichia Densiflora seedling. See photo below:

[richnorm]

Axel, the silvery leaf undersides are a dead giveaway for W. "densiflora" (now called oblongifolia).

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Peter's doesn't look like it's silvery underneath. That probably rules out both arenga and w. densiflora. Now that I looked at Peter's photo again, I can tell that even the leaf form is different, the cuts on the leaflets on his are also much more pronounced.

[MattyB]

I'm pretty sure it's a Caryota, but I wouldn't even be able to venture a guess as to the species. Not C. obtusa though.

[Peter G]

No Sign of suckering, yet.

Close up of trunk:

[Tyrone]

It's Caryota cumingii. I was just out at the nursery today that Peter bought it from. They had about 3 or 4 obtusa with big wide leaflets which is correct for obtusa and a heap of the thin leaved ones. I bought one from the same nursery a few years back as Arenga engleri but without white underneath the leaves it isn't an Arenga or Wallichia. Caryota cumingii is from the Phillipines and is a beautiful Caryota.

[NApalm]

There you go! Well played Tyronne

[Peter G]

It's Caryota cumingii. I was just out at the nursery today that Peter bought it from. They had about 3 or 4 obtusa with big wide leaflets which is correct for obtusa and a heap of the thin leaved ones. I bought one from the same nursery a few years back as Arenga engleri but without white underneath the leaves it isn't an Arenga or Wallichia. Caryota cumingii is from the Phillipines and is a beautiful Caryota.

Thanks Tyrone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just over a year ago, I was at this nursery asking for Caryota Cumingii and I was told they had none in stock, when infact they have around 60!

[Tyrone]

No problems mate.

You won't find Dypsis plumosa on their price list either.

I think you'll see a change with the new owners. I like what they're doing with things there. Also Memory talks Latin names which is a change. Most customers won't know Latin of course, but listing everything with a common name is a problem when dealing in rare palms as some palms just don't have a common name and making one up to fit a price list is simply adding to confusion. Their background in SA and cycads is going to be an amazing change too.

[richnorm]

There you go! Well played Tyronne

Yes indeed, well played T.