Arenga pinnata (Sugar Palm)

Native from peninsular Thailand to western and central Malesia, this large, solitary palm grows in tropical habitats. Its trunk is covered by old leaf bases and abundant coarse black fibers, and its feather-like fronds have leaflets with jagged tips. Large hanging flower clusters appear successively down the trunk, and the palm dies after completing flowering and fruiting. Flower stalks are tapped for sap used to produce sugar and fermented drinks, while the durable sheath fibers are used for rope and thatching. The pulp around ripe seeds contains irritating needle-like crystals. Photographed in Colombia.