Pinanga subterranea
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Common Names:[edit]
Pinang Tanah (Malay, West Kalimantan)
Pinang Pipit, Muring Pelandok (Kendorih language, Central Kalimantan)
Tudong Pelandok (Iban language, Sarawak).
Distribution & Habitat:[edit]
P. subterranea is native to the tropical island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, where it can be found scattered across the primary rainforests of western Borneo, crossing state lines from Sarawak in Malaysia to Kalimantan in Indonesia. It is mainly recorded from lowland mixed dipterocarp forest valleys and on slopes near streams on clay soils on chalk, red clay soils, or sandy clay soils, up to 650 m elevation.
Description:[edit]
Small, acaulescent, understory palm, single trunked with 4-6 leathery, almost entire leaves, and bright red fruit.
General:[edit]
P. subterranea is a newly identified palm species from Borneo, noted for its unique characteristic of flowering and fruiting almost exclusively underground, a phenomenon unprecedented among palms. The plant is well-known to locals who like to snack on its bright-red fruit - a sweet and juicy delicacy consumed in some parts of the island. However, until now, the plant has remained unnoticed by scientists who have described around 300 different species of palm on the island. The fruits are dug up and eaten by the bearded pig in search of food using its fine sense of smell. As the fruits are consumed, their seeds are released in the pig's faeces and dispersed in the ground.
Culture:[edit]
Warm, sheltered and moist.
Contributed by:[edit]
Figure 1 - Agusti Randi / National University of Singapore