Family: Arecaceae

Actinorhytis calapparia (calappa palm, pinang penawar) is a tall, slender palm native to the lowland rainforests of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It typically grows 20–30 m high with a narrow trunk around 20 cm thick, topped by a bright green crownshaft and long pinnate fronds with narrow, pointed leaflets. The species grows best in moist, nutrient-rich soils with abundant organic matter and does not tolerate drought. Juvenile plants thrive in partial shade, but mature palms prefer full sun, making them well suited to tropical landscapes.

This palm is primarily valued as an ornamental species due to its striking form and foliage. Its large, fleshy fruits contain a single seed and are believed to be dispersed by both animals and people; in some regions, the seeds are even chewed like betel. Naturalized populations exist in parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Sumatra, and Malaysia, though it is not considered invasive or weedy.

High Risk Traits:

• Reported to be naturalized in Indo-China: Thailand; Malesia: Indonesia - Sumatra; Malaysia
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Fleshy fruits possibly aid in dispersal by birds, mammals and humans

Low Risk Traits:

• Despite reports of naturalization, not documented as invasive or weedy
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Landscaping and ornamental value
  
• Seeds are chewed like betel
  
• Large fruits and seeds unlikely to be inadvertently dispersed