Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr., Arecaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Arenga saccharifera Labill. ex DC.; Saguerus pinnatus Wurmb

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: cabo-negro

Chinese: sha tang ye zi

English: Malay sago palm, areng palm, black-fiber palm, gomuti palm, sugar palm

French: palmier à sucre, palmier areng, palmier condiar

Spanish: barú, bary, palma de azúcar

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Trunk to more than 10 m high; leaves numerous, large, to nearly 10 m long; pinnae to 11 on each side, linear, clustered, borne in several planes, dark green above, whitish beneath, auricled at base; sheaths coarsely fibrous with very stout, black spines like knitting needles; inflorescences solitary, usually unisexual, staminate flowers deep red to purple-black, with numerous bright stamens; pistillate flowers green; fruit to 6 cm long; seeds black"  (Smith, 1979; p. 407).

"The sugar palm is a large, single-trunked palm.  The leaves are large (to 9 m), dark-green above, silvery below, with the long leaflets ragged at the tips.  The trunk is covered by loose, brown-black fibrous material mixed with long, stiff, spinelike fibers.  At maturity this palm flowers from the top down, eventually dying.  The fruits are dark red, about 2.5 cm in diameter, and are extremely irritating to the skin, containing calcium oxalate crystals"  (Daehler & Baker, 2006; p. 5).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i (O‘ahu), naturalized in Lyon Arboretum where plants are probably in their third generation, and "they form dense stands locally"  (Daehler & Baker, 2006; p. 5).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 80)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 35)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 407)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 137)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 80)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 66) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED115 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Daehler, Curtis C./Baker, Raymond F. (2006) (p. 5) Vouchers cited: C. Daehler 1318 (HAW), F.B. Essig 680725 (HLA)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 80)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	possibly introduced invasive cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (pp. 159-160) Planted here and there around towns and abundant in some forested areas but never at any great distance from settled areas; generally planted. It has all the appearance of an introduced palm that has become naturalized.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated near villages or in towns. Fujian (Xiamen), Guangdong (Guangzhou), Hainan, Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (pp. 293-294) Ornamental.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Also cultivated.
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Malaya
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 15) Cultivated only
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Arenga pinnata, please let us know.