Metroxylon warburgii

Metroxylon warburgii is commonly called the natangura palm. It is a large fast-growing palm tree that can grow up to about 30 feet tall. It is found in Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, and Vanuatu, where it grows in lowland swamps and floodplains. The leaves are used for roof thatch and the seeds can be used for carving. 

The genus name Metroxylon is formed from the combination of two Greek words: metra, meaning “womb,” commonly translated as “heart” in this context, and xylon, meaning “wood,” referring to the large proportion of pith contained in the plant’s stem. The species name warburgii is given in honor of renowned German botanist Otto Warburg.

The Metroxylon has spiny leaf bases and leaves that bend backward slightly. The plant reaches maturity around eight years old. It is considered monocarpic, meaning it flowers only once at the end of its life cycle, after many years of vegetative growth, and then dies following seed production.

The fruit, covered in tough scales, are relatively large for palms and contain one seed.