Pinanga sylvestris

Family: Arecaceae    Palm Tree

Common Name: Chocolate Cane Palm

Scientific Synonymy:
Pinanga macroclada, Pinanga chinensis, Areca sylvestris, Seaforthia sylvestris, Pinanga cochinchinensis, Seaforthia cochinchinensis, Ptychosperma cochinchinense, Ptychosperma sylvestris

Cold Hardiness Zone: 9b     View the UK and US zone maps

Pinanga sylvestris Information

Identification

Stems clustered, to 6 m tall, 1.5-3.5 cm in diam., reddish brown. Leaves pinnate; sheaths closed and forming crownshafts, 17-45 cm, green or yellowish with reddish scales; petioles 10-25 cm; rachis 1-1.3 m; pinnae 10-28 per side of rachis, green abaxially, linear, distantly spaced, regularly arranged; middle pinnae 39-60 x 2-5 cm. Inflorescences branched, pendulous, occasionally erect; peduncles 2.5-6 x ca. 0.7 cm; rachis 0.5-2.5 cm; rachillae 3-8, 9-26 cm, zigzag, triangular in cross section, glabrous; triads distichously arranged, superficial on rachillae; male flowers not seen; female flowers to 3 mm; sepals to 3 mm, rounded at apex, ciliate; petals to 3 mm, ciliate. Fruits red, ellipsoid, 1.4-1.8 x 0.5-0.7 cm.

Species information currently being revised.

Distribution

Native to: China, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand

Lowland or montane rain forest, 100-1750 m elevation. Possibly also occurs in Vietnam.

Location: Laos (21.581167°N, 100.722656°E)

Observations

Map may not represent the complete natural distribution. (Markers display observation data).

Pinanga sylvestris distribution overlay © 2026 Trebrown.