Arecaceae

Plant Profile

Neoveitchia storckii

(neh-oh-vih-KEE-ah) (stork’-ee)

Vilaito Palm

Subfamily Arecoideae

Tribe Areceae
Subtribe Carpoxylinae

Vilaito is a solitary, moderately stout palm with a light coloured trunk on an expanded base. The trunk normally grows up to 12 m in height and is stout, at about 25 cm in diameter. However, it may grow up to 20 m in height when growing under a high canopy of plantation mahogany. This palm has a full, leafy canopy of 12-15 fronds per crown; the fronds up to 5 m in length with heavy leaflets and a characteristic lateral twist to 90o. The crown shaft is distinctive being incompletely formed and is a glossy dark green to black. A bulky inflorescence arises below the crown shaft, initially white before turning olive green. The fruit mature only on the basal third of the inflorescence, the remainder forming conspicuous white tassels. The fruit are large, up to 5 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter, and are dull red when mature.” – Palmpedia

“The native range of this species is Fiji (SE. Viti Levu). It is a tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.” – Kew

Origin Map from Google