sago palm, sagu, sak sak

Description:

Metroxylon sagu is the true sago palm "not to be confused with the sago cycad which is also commonly and confusingly known as the sago palm (although this is a misnomer as cycads are not palms)." Sago is an important staple starch crop throughout the lowlands of New Guinea and elsewhere (see reference).

Habitat:

This spotting is of a remnant palm in a mostly cleared section of coastal mixed freshwater swamp forest/sago swamp.

Notes:

Undisturbed sago swamp is a often a thick and unruly monoculture of large clumps, with trees of all sizes. I chose this tree to be my first sago spotting because it yields a good view of a single stem tree approaching maturity. "The palms are cut down when they are about 15 years old, just before they are ready to flower."