Corypha utan

Corypha utan
Corypha utan stand at Kowanyama, Queensland
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Subfamily:	Coryphoideae
Tribe:	Corypheae
Genus:	Corypha
Species:	C. utan
Binomial name
Corypha utan

Corypha utan (also known as Corypha elata), more commonly known as Gebang Palm, or Cabbage Palm is a large imposing fan palm that reaches up to 20 m high with palm fronds between 4m and 6 m across, growing in areas from India through to the Philippines, down to Australia's Cape York Peninsula^[1].

These palms (like all Corypha) only flower towards the end of their lifetime, but when they do flower they send up a massive inflorescence up to 5m high, and with up to 1 million flowers ^[1].

Growing along watercourses, floodplains and grasslands, the Palm and Cycad Socieites of Australia write about the Corypha utan palms occurring in Cape York:

Corypha utan .. is undoubtedly one of the most imposing species in the Australian palm flora (with its massive pachycaul trunks and hapaxanthic flowering and fruiting extravaganza. ^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Corypha utan Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia web page Accessed 20 June 2009
2. ^ Corypha utan On Cape York Peninsula, Queensland Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia web page Accessed 20 June 2009