W. Africa: tropical rain forest, esp. open wet sites, to 800 m; semi - hardy to 16 degrees latitude, and 25 - 30 degrees on coasts; plantation near Cairns, Australia; semi - wild only. Edible oil (5 t/ha/yr) from fruit trusses, easily extracted by boiling and pressing; potential forage for pigs; sap for wine; edible heart; leaves for thatch, weaving; petioles for fence posts, construction.
Monoecious; cultivated in pure stands on large estates; smallholders intercrop with annual crops; seed propagation, promising research on tissue culture; excellent improved cultivars; solitary feather palm. Improved. Palms first bear fruit after 2.5 years and can bear for 50 years but these palms would be very tall (over 20 m) and difficult to harvest.