Coccothrinax macroglossa (León) O.Muñiz & Borhidi

 
  • Family : ARECACEAE
    (Palm Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : NARIYAL FAMILY (नारियल फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Arecaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Coccothrinax miraguama subsp. macroglossa (León) Borhidi & O.Muñiz; Coccothrinax miraguama var. macroglossa León
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Coccothrinax macroglossa (León) O.Muñiz & Borhidi
  • Common name : Steely blue palm
  • Vernacular name :
    • Neela panai (Tamil)
  • Habit : Palm
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : Slender, solitary-trunked palm to 8–12 m tall; Trunk cylindrical, 10–20 cm in diameter, often slightly buttressed at base, surface gray to brown, with prominent leaf scars forming regular rings; Leaves costapalmate, induplicate, blade circular to sub-circular, rigid, divided into 45–70 narrowly lanceolate segments deeply cleft up to ½–¾ of the blade; segment apices bifid to acute, adaxial surface glaucous green, abaxial surface pale silvery-white, leathery, rigid, slightly arching, petiole 60–100 cm long, slender, unarmed, shallowly canaliculate, leaf base persistent fibrous sheath forming a brown to grey skirt or mesh around the upper trunk; Inflorescence interfoliar, emerging among or just beyond the leaves; paniculate, branched to 2 or 3 orders, rachillae slender, puberulent, numerous small flowers borne on short pedicels; Flowers unisexual, monoecious, greenish-white to cream, mildly fragrant or scentless, staminate flowers small, multiple stamens, anthers dorsifixed, introrse, pistillate flowers globose ovary, superior, short style with a peltate or trilobed stigma; Fruit drupe, globose to ellipsoid, ca. 8 mm long, turning black or purplish-black at maturity, cupule shallow, cup-shaped, persistent at base, conical with remnants of perianth.
  • Flower, Fruit : September-December
  • Distribution :
    • Tamil Nadu : Most of the districts
  • Native : Cuba
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : Cuba
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Coccothrinax macroglossa
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Coccothrinax macroglossa. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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