Editing Nypa fruticans

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[[File:Nypa_fruticans.jpg|frame|Figure 1. ''N. fruticans'']]
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==Notes on the Mangrove Palm ==
===Introduction:===
''Nypa fruticans'' Wurmb, the mangrove palm, is one of the most
extraordinary palms to be seen in the wild state in Australia, where it
is confined to a few small populations on the north-east and north
coasts. In Queensland, it occurs between the Herbert River (18&deg
10'S) and the Wenlock River (11&#176; 40'S), and in the Northern
Territory on Cobourg Peninsula and Melville Island (10&#176; 50'S). In
Queensland, the range is discontinuous with several wide tracts of
coastline devoid of habitats suitable for Nypa. Outside of Australia,
the palm has a wide distribution throughout coastal and estuarine areas
of south-east and east Asia, extending from Sri Lanka east to the
Solomon Islands and north to the Ryukyu Islands (ca 25&#176; N).
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===Historical Account:===
The first taxonomic mention of ''Nypa'' in Australia was that by Mueller
(1881), of plants collected from the Herbert River. Mueller placed the
species in Pandanaceae, but added that it was transitional between the
pandans and palms;... ''"qu o transitus a Pandanaceis, quibus riorum et fructuum structura aptius pertinet, ad Palmaceas formatur..."''.

He also
commented on the different spellings of the generic name and noted an
occurrence, which apparently no longer exists, on the Daintree River.
Bailey (1888) publishcd a subspecies, ''Nipa fruticans'' Wunnb var.
''Neameana'' Bail. (sic) also placing it in the family Pandanaceae,
describing it as..."stem s short, thick, from a stout creeping rhizomc,
which is flattened and about 1 ft. broad, with a thickness of about 6
in., rooting from the under surface only, the upper surface quite
smooth. Leaves averaging about 6 or 7 to a plant, 4 usually living, and
2 or 3 decaying, pinnate, 25 to 30 ft. long, the base very stout and
clasping the very short erect stem....". Bailey's description of the
subspecies is virtually identical to that which he gave for the species
(1883). Bailey also noted..."Hab.&#160;: Herbert River, Arthur Neame, 1880.
Mr Neame states that the Herbert River natives make use of the seeds
when in an unripe state for food, as is done in other countries where
Nipa is indigenous. "

Mueller (1889), in a census of Australian plants, relocated the
species from Pandanaceae into the obscure monotypic family of Nipaceae
which had been created by Brongniart in 1843.
Bailey (1909) again mentions the palm, but places it in the family
Palmae. He recorded the aboriginal names 'ki-bano' of the Cardwell
natives and 'tacannapoon' of the Pascoe River natives.
As far as we can ascertain, Bailey's variety is still valid but should
be subsumed with the species as there is insufficient reason to
maintain any taxonomic distinction.

===Environmental Requirements:===
''Nypa'' is not a mangrove in the strict sense, as it does not
exploit truly littoral environments nor can it tolerate inundation with
undiluted sea-water for extended periods.
Casual observation of most ''Nypa'' populations will reveal the
limited adaptiveness of the palm. It occurs most commonly in areas
where brackish water occurs, extending far upstream into permanent
fresh-water areas where tidal-influenced water-level fluctuations are
able to carry and deposit the seeds. Secondarily, it can occur on low
flats and depressions near or far from the main water bodies, at the
base of eroding slopes and cliffs, or on sandy ridges or embankments.
It can tolerate infrequent inundation, so long as the substrate in
which it grows does not dehydrate for too long a period. The palm grows
as an undershrub, infrequently as a tree, or can dominate in mixed
forest. The species' 'ecological climax' appears to be in pure stands
on islets in the main channels or low flats on the inside of river
meanders where fine, rich silt deposits occur. These deposits are
replenished frequently by floods or wet season run-off from nearby
rivers.

Apart from temperature, the most critical environmental condition for
''Nypa'' is the percentage dilution of the sea-water by seaward
flowing fresh-water. ''Nypa'' does not require saline conditions at
all as the luxuriant stands in pure fresh-water indicate; the palm is
tolerant of an average low salinity, the salt-water tides being crucial
for seed dispersal and deposition of silt.

One of the authors (JD), during visitation to colonies in the Herbert
River delta, immediately north of Lucinda, Queensland, noted the
unexpected complete absence of seedlings and juvenile plants in the
populations. The uniformity of the size-class structure within these
colonies suggests that reproduction and expansion of these particular
colonies has been by clonal means rather than by recruitment of new
plants by seed.

===Nypa in the Fossil Record:===
''Nypa fruticans'' is one of the few palm species which is
recognisable in the fossil record, with specimens considered
attributable to it dating back to the Paleocene and possibly earlier,
some 60 to 70 million years old. Fossil ''Nypa'' pollen has been
found throughout the world; from the London clays, the Bass Strait
sediments, the deserts of Asia minor and South America. One of the
reasons for the abundance of ''Nypa'' fossils could be explained by
the very nature of its habitat, where recurrent flood and sedimentation,
events which predispose the species to the formation of fossils, occur.
The extant distribution of the species is now confined to the hot
tropical regions. Through inference, it is suggested that where ''Nypa''
once occurred was also hot at the time that it occurred there,
presuming that its ecological requirements have not altered during the
last 60 million yeas. The association of a plant's climatic
requirements can offer circumstantial evidence for estimating the
climate at a particular place and time in geological history, through
the medium of fossils.

===Nypa as a Cultivated Plant:===
''Nypa'' may seem to be a particularly difficult palm to accommodate
in the average palm collection, but our experiences with it indicate
that this is not necessarily so. It may never grow into the handsome
giant one sees in the wild but a perfectly acceptable, if smaller,
specimen can be easily achieved.

Fruits with small sprouts which have not been dehydrated are easiest.
They should be planted horizontally in a 150-200 mm container with the
apical end nearest the pot side and the short end facing the centre.
The soil can be a peatmoss/sand mix or a peatmoss/loam mix. Coarse
gravel or sand is not necessary nor desirable. The medium should be
resilient and soft. The pot should be kept continually wet, placed in a
deep saucer-like container or bucket, with the water-level maintained
to immerse the lower 1/3 of the pot. Unless the water becomes foul,
there is no need to change it more than weekly.

The young plant should be given a very light shade at the most. This
encourages faster growth (because of the warmth) and shorter petioles
which are less vulnerable to wind damage. The growth is rapid in a warm
tropical climate.

When well established it can be planted out into a prepared site where
the soil has been loosened to a depth of 1 m and at least 3 x 5 m in an
oval-shaped bed. Plant the palm at one end, facing the shoot towards
the other. Make a small levee to hold in water. Ideally the site should
be only lightly shaded, to give a more compact and sturdy growth. Keep
the plant wet and feed it with any general fertiliser when it looks
deficient. As the procumbent trunk advances more space will have to bc
made. Keep in mind the branching habit when choosing the site.
Alternatively, a specially built up pond-like structure could be made
and filled with a soft, non-compactable mixture of loam and peatmoss or
humus. There is no need to add salt to the water. The ''Nypa'' palm
would make a dramatic feature in ornamental lakes in tropical areas.

===References:===
'''Bailey, F.M.''' (1883). ORDER CXXXV Pandanaceae. pp. 566-568 in. A Synopsis of the
Queensland Flora containing both the Phanerogamous and Crytogamous
plants. J Beal, Government Printer, Brisbane.

'''Bailey, F.M.''' (1888). Description of the Queensland form of Nipa
Fruticans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 5(4): 146-148.

'''Bailey, F.M.''' (1909). Palmae. p. 573 in. Comprehensive Catalogue of
Queensland Plants. Government Printer, Brisbane.

'''Mueller, F., von''' (1881). Pandanaceae.
Fragmenta Phytographiac Australiae 11: 127-128.

'''Mueller, F., von''' (1889). Nipaceae. p.202 in. Second Systematic Census
of Australian Plants. Pt 1 - Vasculares. McCarron, Bird and Co.,
Melbourne.

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[[File:Nypa_fruticans02.jpg|frame|for tourism purposes, having previously been managed by the Malaysia Nature Society.]]
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===Contributed by: ===
John Dowe and Robert Tucker. (Text - from '''''Palms & Cycads''''' No. 41 Oct-Dec 1993)<br/>
Kyle Wicomb (Figure 1)<br/>
Alex Prendergast (Figure 2)<br/>


===External Links:===
[https://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=Nypa%20fruticans Kew], 
[https://www.palmweb.org//?q=cdm_dataportal/taxon/ffaf3ca9-b206-4159-8b7d-7e06a420f22b PalmWeb],
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/178800/0 IUCN],
[https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Nypa+fruticans JSTOR],
[https://www.trebrown.com/plant_info.php?species=Nypa+fruticans Trebrown]
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