Licuala grandis Licuala grandis (hort. ex W. Bull) H. Wendl., Arecaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, Score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Pritchardia grandis hort. ex W. Bull

Common name(s): [more details]

English: ruffled fan palm

French: palmier-cuillère

Other: te purauki

Solomon Pijin: nokolo, nondoobu

Habit:  tree

Description:  "A slender palm...about 6 feet tall bears handsome, dark green, round, fine-pleated leaves, which are entire except for inch-long bifid lobes around the edge; the leaves measure about 3 feet across and have slender stems 3 feet long, spine-edged in the lower half" (Neal, 1965; p. 94).

"Trunk:  To 6 ft. in height, 3 in. diameter or less.  Petiole:  3 ft. long, slender, spines near base and halfway to leaf.  Leaf:  Palmate; 3 by 2 ft.; circular appearance but really more wide than long; not divided, unless split by wind, but notched at tips.  M. and R. Foster, in their book, Brazil, speak of the leaves as resembling knife-pleated skirts or corrugated roofs.  Segments:  Bright, dark, glossy green; split at ends; very pleated.  Flowerstalk:  Among leaves, same length as leaves.  Flowers:  1/3 in. long.  Fruit:  Size of pea; glossy crimson"  (McCurrach, 1960; p. 117).

Habitat/ecology:  Grows well in the understory.

Propagation:  Seed. "The small fleshy fruits (ca. 1 cm in diameter) might be dispersed over long distances by frugivorous birds" (Meyer, Lavergne & Hodel, 2008; p. 75).

Native range:  Vanuatu; also cultivated (GRIN).

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	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013) Cultivated?
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 6)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 396-397) Voucher cited: Moore, Koroiveibau & Parham 9365
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Pou (Huapu, Uapou, Uapu) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 94) "Potential invader".
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Lavergne, Christophe/Hodel, Donald R. (2008) (p. 76) Widely naturalized.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 13)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves/Lavergne, Christophe/Hodel, Donald R. (2008) (p. 75) Locally naturalized in botanical garden.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Cultivée
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	cultivated	Neal, Marie C. (1965) (p. 94)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll		Thaman, R. R. (1987) Cultivated? Presence not verified.
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 32) Potential invasive; grows well even under other trees. f
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 111)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Anuta Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 80634) Taxon name on voucher: Licuala grandis H. Wendland
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Anuta Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 699241) Taxon name on voucher: Licuala grandis H. Wendland
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Ndeni (Santa Cruz) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 79377) Taxon name on voucher: Licuala grandis H. Wendland
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Ndeni (Santa Cruz) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 79378) Taxon name on voucher: Licuala grandis H. Wendland
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Ndeni (Santa Cruz) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 699240) Taxon name on voucher: Licuala grandis H. Wendland
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)	native	McCurrach, J. C. (1960)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 55) Cultivated only

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Comments:  Isolated patches but potentially invasive in French Polynesia.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Licuala grandis, please let us know.