Common Names:
Fiji Fan Palm
Distribution & Habitat:
Tonga, Fiji islands, introduced on many pacific islands.
Typically tropical dry forests with mean monthly temperatures ranging
from 22°C in July to 28°C in January. Rainfall averages 1800 mm per year
with most falling during December-April summer and almost drought conditions
prevailing during the cooler months.
Description:
An attractive, solitary fan palm 7-10m tall, with a trunk up to
30cm in diameter. Leaves up to 1.8m long and almost as wide,
the leaf blade is the same glabrous dull green on both upper and
lower surfaces, without any scales or spots underneath.
The spadices are shorter than the petioles. The spherical fruit is
11-12 mm in diameter, turning red then black at maturity.
The seed is 7mm in diameter. (Fig 2&3)
General:
One of the most attractive Pritchardias,
grown widely in tropical countries and sought after by collectors.
Culture:
Fresh seed germinates within 30 days. Plant in a sunny, moist,
but well drained position. Prefers tropical conditions,
will not grow in temperate climates and is marginal where
winter temperatures go below 5°C.
Slow growing. Well suited to coastal areas.
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Figure 1. P. pacifica
leaf and infructescence.
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