Rainforest Palms and "Chakoro", the Fan Palm

L.P. Butt.

From the wonderful array of flowering plants we have on our planet, a very special place goes to the family Principes (Palmae), with 212 genera and close to 3,000 known species. Most are tall, solitary trees, but many form thick clumps, some quite trunkless, and others again are minute undergrowth plants. We have about 40 species within this country, as well as several undescribed forms. Botanically, the six family types that occur here also have close relatives in Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Palm leaves the world over fall into three basic leaf shapes -palmate (fan leafed), pinnate (feather palms) and bipinnate (caryota or fishtail).

Of the palms native to Australia six basic divisions can be spoken of as follows:

Arecoideae - Pinnate and monoecious.

Borassoideae - Palmate and dioecious.

Coryphoideae - Palmate and monoecious.

Lepidocaryoideae - Pinnate climbers with scale; covered berries (fruit).

Caryotoideae - Pinnate or bipinnate, induplicate.

Nypoideae - Pinnate, trunkless, in mangroves.

Palms are graceful plants that are now gaining their true place in the world's flora. Indeed, the exotic Phoenix (date palm) is often referred to as the original 'tree of life'.

The majority of our palms are suited to garden cultivation and, if properly placed, can lend the grace of the rainforest and the majesty of tropical flora. Remembering always that these lovely members of the Principes need shade and wind shelter when young, semi-shade and ample light are needed when older. For healthy, luxuriant growth, warmth and moisture levels needed depend on particular habitat. However, if they are not exposed to extremes of frost or prolonged dryness, they will grow well and blend in with most other forest or rainforest species in an average garden. An ideal garden for palms would have a selection of large trees, pathways rather than lawns, a minimum of concrete paths, and an under-story of tropical vegetation in which I would include tropical Gingers, Cordylines, Dracaenas and many ground covers.

Climbing palms have a real place in such a situation and, although we cannot sport the many rattans of Malaysia, Indonesia and New Guinea, our lawyer vines or Calamus palms are spectacular enough to be cultivated as part of the scene.

Australia has only three genera of the Coryphoid palms - Corypha, Livistona and Licuala. The latter species is the largest one and has only one species in Australia. "Chakoro" is an aboriginal name used in the Tully area for Licuala ramsayi (syn. L. muelleri), which, in my opinion, is our most beautiful and majestic palm, growing as it does in pockets of true rainforest in North Queensland, from just north of Townville to extreme areas of Cape York. Main populations occur near Mission Beach, Tully, Daintree River and Cape Tribulation, with smaller sections in parts of the Bloomfield River area. This palm can grow to immense heights and in the Mission Beach areas, it appears as the main afforestation, rivalled only by the great tangled understorey of the climbing Calamus moti palms (Spiny Lawyer Cane).

The great, circular fan leaves are really outstanding, consisting of a windmill effect of wedge-shaped segments joined together. The leaflet tips are jagged-edged right around the entire leaf shape. In the areas of south-east Queensland, growing as a garden palm, there is only one real disadvantage. If you cannot provide shade for this Licuala, it is not for you. It must be grown in shade all through its life, and the deeper the shade the healthier the palm. Strangely, though, I have seen L. ramsayi growing well as exposed plants where the rest of the deep rainforest has been. cleared. Generally they are 4 metre palms with palmate leaves remaining from ground level on the plant. I must stress, however, that this was only in its particular habitat.

Seed is particularly hard to find because of the vegetation around the mature palms. To really collect seed in quantity, you may have to get there ahead of roving cassowaries, endure the green ants, leeches and very spiny forms of lawyer cane palms. A palm in full fruit is very spectacular. The masses of seed berries stand out among the lovely shiny green circles of the palm's leaves. Most seed of this Licuala is not difficult to raise and cultivate in cooler areas, but in North Queensland a seed mix of 50% peatmoss and 50% coarse sand is ideal. Actually, the fresher the seed, the higher the germination.

To cultivate, it should be simply anywhere in coastal southern Queensland or wet tropical Queensland. Make sure it gets the shade needed and the water to push it ahead and you should have success. Such essentials as rich soil composed of organic matter like rotted manure and composted leaf debris are ideal for all palms, and especially the rainforest types.

As a container plant, this particular Licuala has wonderful potential. It will thrive for many years and make a really handsome tub specimen if grown in a sarlon covered bushhouse or in a semi-shaded courtyard. A yearly check on drainage holes is advantageous, and regular waterings during spring and summer with nitrogen fertilizer will really improve its growth. Such applications should be with products having a higher nitrogen ratio than their potassium and phosphate, but not straight nitrogen. Organic pelletised manure which is becoming available is also good around container grown palms.

In most of its habitats where this palm has formed into large colonies, the area can be fairly swampy. In fact, in the wet season, many of the seedlings are submerged without apparent ill effect. This gives some indication of the amount of waterlogging some rain-forest species can tolerate.