Caryota spp.
(Arecaceae)
“Fish Tail Palms”
There are three species of Caryota to be found in the Parque de Malaga (MAP LOCATIONS).
Caryota gigas (48) China & Thailand.
Caryota mitis (10) Tropical rainforests, India & S.E. Asia.
Caryota urens (7) India & Sri Lanka.
Caryotas in general are single trunk palms with bipinnate leaves and distinctive leaflets in the form of a fishtail. They are monocarpic, i.e. they die after flowering, although this can take 5 to 7 years, the flowers appearing in the axils of the upper branches, and then gradually in the lower ones over time. C.urens at least is considered a useful plant in India and Sri Lanka, where the leaves produce a fibre used in rope and basket making. A starchy food can be produced from the pith, and palm wine can be made from the sap.
First picture, below, of C.urens.
Second picture, below: The exotic looking, long inflorescence of C.mitis (pictured May 2011). These appear in the axils of the stem. The buds open to a purple flower which matures to a round fruit or drupe.
Third picture, below, of C.gigas, the largest of all the fish tail palms, which thrives in wet mountainous forests.
Parque de Malaga 