Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav., Cyclanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: jipijapa, Panama hat plant

French: carludovique palmée

Maori (Cook Islands): Panamā

Spanish: bombonaje, chidra, paja toquilla, palma de sombrero, palma jipijapa, toquilla

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Plant up to 4 (-5) m high.  Leaf blades generally 50-80 cm long.  Petiole up to 3.5 (-4) m long.  Peduncle during anthesis 30-50 cm long, in fruiting stage as much as 1 m long.  Spathes 3-4, the lowermost or the two lower spathes green, coarse, often provided with a foliaceous, palmate appendage the upper spathes creamy white or greenish white, petalaceous.  Spadix during anthesis 9-16 (-22) cm long, in fruiting stage as much as 30 cm long.  Staminate flowers generally 3.5-4.5 mm long; receptacle 2-3 mm diameter; stamens (30-) 40-55, anthers 1.2-1.5 mm long, 0.4-0.5 mm broad.  Pistillate flowers during anthesis 3.5-4 mm broad, in fruiting stage as much as 10 mm broad; tepals during anthesis obtusely triangular, *± connate at base, distinctly surpassing the stigmas, in fruiting stage subtruncate to truncate, connate to about half their length, as high as the stigmas or, more often, somewhat lower; stigmas seen from above ovate to suborbicular, short and obtuse, entirely encircled by the tepals; staminodes white to yellowish white, 3-6 cm long. (Harling, 1973)

Habitat/ecology:  (No habitat/ecology information available.)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Central America, Colombia to Bolivia (Harling, 1973).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 14)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1929) (voucher ID: BISH 109827) Taxon name on voucher: Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav.
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 89) Presence not verified.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Lorence, David (year unknown) Cultivated around Awak per Lorence and Flynn, pers. com.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (1998) (p. 8) Cult. around Awak.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 35)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 150)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 89)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1918) (voucher ID: BISH 109829) Taxon name on voucher: Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav.
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 225) One occurrence. Voucher cited: CHR 170306.
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 28) One occurrence. Voucher cited: Yuncker 9983 (BISH)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 9)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 427917) Taxon name on voucher: Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 699285) Taxon name on voucher: Carludovica palmata Ruiz & Pav.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	Harling, Gunnar (1973) (p. 6)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	Harling, Gunnar (1973) (pp. 5-6)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007) Probably naturalized.
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	Harling, Gunnar (1973) (p. 6)

Comments:  Cultivated and small infestations in Vailima Reserve and elsewhere, Upolu, Samoa.

Additional information:  Additional online information about Carludovica palmata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Carludovica palmata may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1918. Voucher specimen #BISH 109829 (Nelson, P. 80).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1929. Voucher specimen #BISH 109827 (Wilder, G.P. 796).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 427917 (Whistler, W.A. W 4003A).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 699285 (Whistler, W.A. W 4003A).

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.

Harling, Gunnar. 1973. Cyclanthaceae [216.]. Flora of Ecuador 1. 48 pp.

Lorence, David. 0. David Lorence, pers. com.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 1998. Checklist of the plants of Pohnpei. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 21 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of the Cook Islands on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 146 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands: The plants, their Maori names, and their uses. Allertonia 5(4):347-424.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.