Accession Data

Carludovica palmata

Common Name: Panama Hat Plant

Family: Cyclanthaceae

Country of Origin: Mexico to Boliva

Description: The inflorescence of C. palmata is protogynous, with the female flowers being ripe when the spathes open, which is usually at night. Beetles are attracted by the fragrant odour of the staminodes. They stay in the spadix during the day. During the following night, when the female flowers are no longer functional, the anthers of the male flowers open, the beetles eat pollen and become covered with it, leave the inflorescence and fly to an inflorescence in the female flowering stage, where they carry out pollination.4

Uses: Widely used as roof thatch in Ecuador. Also woven into artisan fibers for use in making hats, however the 'Panama Hat'1 for which this plant is known is actually made in Ecuador, whilst the hat made from this fiber in Panama is distinctly different from a 'Panama Hat'. Confused yet?

Accession Data

USDA Zone: 10b-11

Accession #: 198500218

Accession Date: 1985-12-31 00:00:00

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 1318

Quantity: 1

Source: Unknown

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Subclass: monocots

Order: Pandanales

Family: Cyclanthaceae

SubFamily: Carludovicioideae

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

References

  1. Panama Hat at Wikipedia
  2. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Friday, July 22, 2016.
  3. WCSP (2016). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Friday, July 22, 2016.
  4. Carludovica palmata at Plant Resources of SouthEast Asia (PROSEA). Last accessed on Monday, March 05, 2018.

Images

Carludovica palmata
Carludovica palmata Carludovica palmata