Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta 'Mapu'

Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta, better known simply as Licuala 'Mapu' or just "Mapu Palm," is perhaps the most beautiful representative of the Licuala genus. It is one of the smallest Licuala species and grows very slowly. Very old plants develop a slender trunk and can reach a height of up to 3 meters . The leaves grow to about 30 to 40 cm in length and width and are divided into many segments, deeply incised to the base. This is also where the difference between the two recognized varieties lies.

Licuala mattanensis var. mattanensis has many, narrower, and more uniform segments. Licuala mattanensis var. paucisecta has fewer, but wider segments, and (very noticeably) the central segment is always significantly narrower than the others. Most specimens of this species are uniformly green in nature. As far as we know, only L. mattanensis var. paucisecta is patterned. These specimens are then called 'Mapu Palm'. They have a light green, almost yellow, base color with numerous round, dark green spots. The patterning is most pronounced in low light!

It originates from Sarawak and Kalimantan, where it grows in the lowlands in very shady places on very acidic soils in the undergrowth of rainforests.



You will receive a young plant with 1 to 2 leaves, in a 7cm pot. The beginnings of the patterning are already visible on these small specimens!



Preview image: (Ruddy Bénézet) on Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0