Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (H.Wendland) Wendl. & Drude, Arecaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 6 (revised 22 January 2008) (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Jessenia amazonum Drude; Loroma amethystina O. F. Cook; Loroma cunninghamiana (H. Wendl.) O. F. Cook; Ptychosperma cunninghamianum H. Wendl.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Picabeen palm, bangalow palm, piccabeen bangalow palm, piccabeen palm

Habit:  tree

Description:  "This is a very similar palm to Archontophoenix alexandrae in both appearance and size (it gets to about 25 metres (80 feet) tall with a spread of about 2 - 2.5 metres (10 - 15 feet)).  The leaves, which have paler stalks, are bright green above and below, although there can also be brown scales underneath. They are much heavier looking than A. alexandrae , and consequntly are more likely to be damaged by heavy winds. Thus they are often better suited to more sheltered areas, while A. alexandrae can take more exposed positions.  The base of the petioles form a greenish-yellow to brown crownshaft that the leaves rarely droop below. The trunk is smooth and ringed with noticeable leaf scars, although thinner and with more widely spaced rings than A. alexandrae . It can get to about 1/3 meter (one foot) in diameter. Flowers are formed below the crownshaft with the creamy flower stalks holding mauve flowers. The round green fruit, about 12 mm (1/2 inch) in diameter, turn bright red at maturity. There is often a noticeable bulge in the crownshaft before the flowers emerge which gives the tree a "pregnant" look"  (Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia).

Habitat/ecology:  Tropical and subtropical climate.  "Rainforests of central eastern Australian coast.  They do like more water than most palms, with some even thriving in poorly drained areas. In their native habitat, they can often be seen growing next to and even in creek beds."  (Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Australia (New South Wales and Queesland) (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 76517) Taxon name on voucher: Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (H.Wendland) Wendl. & Drude
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 110) As Archontophoenix cunninghamii (H. Wendl.) H. Wendl. & Drude

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 15) Cultivated only

Comments:  Reported invasive in Brazil ("The invasion of a Brazilian tropical forest fragment by the Australian palm tree Archontophoenix cunninghamiana")

Control:  If you know of control methods for Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, please let us know.