Scientific Name : Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman
Common Name : Queen Palm, Cocos Palm
Chinese Name : 皇后葵, 金山葵, 女王椰子
Family : ARECACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | Originating from Brazil, it is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions that include Australia and South China. |
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| Vitality and meanings of names | The Queen Palm is strongly adaptive, being tolerant of drought, frost and coastal conditions. It is also able to survive under partial shade environments. Hence, the species stands out from the family Arecaceae for its vitality. The Queen Palm exhibits an elegant growth form, which is tall and upright. Comparing to the Royal Palm (Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F. Cook), which is known as “King Palm (大王椰子)”in Chinese, “the Queen” is not inferior to “the King”. The leaves of the Queen Palm cluster above the crownshaft, which is slightly untidy, resembles the crown of a Queen. Therefore, it is named the Queen Palm. This species grows better on well-drained, fertile and moist soil. |
| Applications | It is a species for garden landscaping and used as street trees. The fruits are edible. Flora of Guangdong has stated that its endosperm tastes like coconut meat and has a light flavour. |
| Growing habit | Tree-like palm. |
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| Height | To 16 m. |
| Stems | Solitary stem dark grey, diameter 20 to 40 cm, with ringed leaf scars. |
| Leaves | Large, recurved downward. Pinnate, pinnae 150 to 200, linear-lanceolate, apex bifid, irregularly arranged, spreading in different planes. |
| Flowers | Inflorescences axillary, over 1 m long. Monoecious, male flowers borne on upper rachis, female flowers borne on middle to lower rachis. |
| Fruits | Subglobose to obovoid, slightly beaked, orange when fresh. Exocarp smooth. |
| Seeds | Irregularly shaped, 1 per fruit. |
| Flowering period | February in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | November to March in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3178
Scientific names from other databases
― Plants of the World Online : Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman