About Licuala ramsayi (F.Muell.) Domin
Licuala ramsayi, commonly known as L. ramsayi, is a very recognizable single-trunked palm. Its trunk can grow up to 16 meters (52 feet) tall and 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) across. It produces large, pleated, circular leaves that can reach 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) in diameter. The leaf stalks (petioles) have sharp, strong spines that grow up to 5 millimeters (0.20 inches) long. When it fruits, it produces red drupes roughly 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) in diameter, each holding a single seed. This species is native to Australia, where it grows in swamps, along riverbanks, and within rainforests. In conditions that suit it well, it can completely cover small areas of land, growing in dense stands called "fan palm forest". There are two recognized varieties of this palm. Licuala ramsayi var. tuckeri is found on Cape York Peninsula, ranging south to roughly the area around Cooktown. Licuala ramsayi var. ramsayi grows from Cooktown south to the Paluma Range, which lies north of Townsville. For Aboriginal Australian people, this palm tree provided an edible cabbage, plus materials for thatching, wrapping food, and making cigarette paper from its young leaves. The fruits of Licuala ramsayi are eaten by cassowaries.
