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Metroxylon vitiense
Fiji sago palm is a tall, spiny palm native to swampy forests in Fiji and nearby islands, and it is threatened in the wild. It grows best in wet, humid tropical conditions near water, and takes about 20 years to fruit.
Metroxylon vitiense (vitiense - originating in Fiji, also known as the Fiji sago palm) is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae, endemic to the islands of Fiji (hence its specific name vitiense, "of Viti", meaning Fiji in Fijian), Ovalau, and Vanua Levu in Fiji. There is only one confirmed occurrence of M. vitiense on Vanua Levu, just outside Savusavu. Despite it being considered a threatened species by the IUCN, as of February 2013 M. vitiense was still unprotected by Fijian regulations and international legislation. The palm has also been reported as living on the nearby islands of Wallis and Futuna.
Metroxylon vitiense, like many species of Metroxylon, has previously been classified under the genera Coelococcus and Sagus. M. vitiense was previously classified as Coelococcus vitiensis (H. Wendl. ex Seem.) and Sagus vitiensis (H. Wendl.
The palm thrives near rivers and in marshy areas and its buoyant fruit will often land in water and float until they find suitable places to grow. Remains of partially eaten M. vitiense fruit indicate that bats and the masked shining parrot also act as dispersal vectors.
Growth in Fiji's tourism industry has resulted in increased use of Fiji sago palm leaves for thatching roofs, especially by hotels, because roofing material made from its leaves can withstand Fiji's tropical climate for about 10 years. Prior to its listing as threatened, Metroxylon vitiense was considered to be a source of superior thatch and edible heart of palm for a few communities in Fiji although its historic use as a famine food is questionable. Metroxylon vitiense is harvested as a source of food for heart of palm and sago. Fiji Islanders prefer the hearts of M. vitiense for their "sweet, crispy and delicate flavour" and residents of some Fijian communities use them as the main ingredient in curries.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Metroxylon vitiense by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
