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Family Arecaceae
Gumayaka
Arenga tremula (Blanco) Becc.
PHILIPPINE DWARF SUGAR PALM
Fei Lu Bin Guang Lang

Scientific names Common names
Arenga tremula (Blanco) Becc. Abigi (Bik.)
Caryota tremula Blanco Abiki (Bik.)
Didymosperma tremulum (Blanco) Wendl. & Drude ex B.D.Jacks Baris (Bag.)
Wallichia tremula (Blanco) Mart. Bat-bat (Tagb.)
  Bilis (Bik.)
  Dayaka (Tag.)
  Dumaka (Tag.)
  Dumayaka (Tag.)
  Gumaka (Bik.)
  Gumayaka (Tag.)
  Rumaka (Bik.)
  Tipon-tipon (Bik)
  Dwarf sugar palm (Engl.)
Arenga tremula (Blanco) Becc. is an accepted name The Plant List

Other vernacular names
CHINESE: Fei Lu Bin Guang Lang, Shan zong.

Gen info
Arenga tremula subsp. tremula is an ornamental Philippine endemic dwarf sugar palm. The genus comprises 22 species which are good sources of sugar and starch. There are two subspecies of Arenga tremula: Arenga tremula which is endemic in the Philippines, and A. longistamina Mogea which is found in Hainan, Taiwan and Ryuku islands. (2)

Botany
Unlike the kaong, gumayaka is a small, trunkless palm with thick and adventitious roots. Stems are not long, but relatively slender and occurring in clumps. Leaves are up to 5 to 8 meters long, spreading, with petioles 1 to 2 meters long, green, channeled along the base where the edges are fringed with black, ascending bristle like fibers. The leaflets are linear, varying from 50 to 80 centimeters long and 1.5 to 4 centimeters wide, sometimes partially united at the apex, opposite or in alternating pairs, subglaucous underneath, the constricted base with a small lobe, truncate apex finely toothed, the midrib ridged beneath. Peduncles are about 30 centimeters long and 2.5 centimeters thick. Male flowers are on separate stalks, about 1 centimeter long, the petals bulging out along valvate sides. Fruiting spikes are pendulous, longer and more numerous than the male spikes. Fruit is globose, smooth, thin-skinned, scanty pulp, dark red when ripe, and usually two-seeded.

Distribution
- In thickets and secondary forests at low altitudes in Bataan, Batangas, Laguna and Quezon Provinces in Luzon; in Mindoro and Mindanao.

Constituents
- Dichlormethane extract of twigs of Arenga tremula subsp. tremula yielded squalene (1), chlorophyll a (2), monoglycerides (3) and triglycerides (4), while the leaves yielded 2, 4, lutein (5), and a mixture of ß-sitosterol (6) and stigmasterol (7). (see study below) (2)

Properties
- Intoxicant, soporific.

Uses
Edibility
• The ubod is edible.
• Good source of sugar and starch.
Folkloric
• The bud (ubod), eaten in considerable quantity, is intoxicating followed by long periods of profound sleep.
Others
• Stems provide a strong and stiff fiber.
• Leaf stalks split for making baskets.

Toxicity
- Young fruit is poisonous and contains irritating raphides in the pericarp. Fruit juices can cause skin irritation and blisters.
- Seed reportedly poisonous if ingested.

Studies
Chemical Constituents / Known Bioactivities of Isolated Compounds:
Study of leaves and twigs yielded squalene (1), chlorophyll a (2) monoglycerides (3) and triglycerides (4), while the leaves yielded 2, 4, lutein (5), and a mixture of ß-sitosterol (6) and stigmasterol (7). Although there are no reported bioactivities for A. tremula, the isolated compounds are known for diverse bioactivities (1) significantly suppresses colonic ACF formation and crypt multiplicity (2) wound healing, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive (3 and 4) antimicrobial, (5) tumor growth inhibition, (6) growth inhibitory effects on human breast MCF-7 and (7) efficacy against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, lowers cholesterol, etc. (2)

Availability
Wildcrafted.
Ornamental cultivation.

Last Update December 2014

Photo © Godofredo Stuart / StuartXchange
Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Sorting Arenga names
/ Maintained by: Michel H. Porcher / MULTILINGUAL MULTISCRIPT PLANT NAME DATABASE / A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia / Copyright © 1997 - 2000 The University of Melbourne.
(2)
Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences Chemical Constituents of
Arenga tremula.
/ Consolacion Y Ragasa, Dalton R Fortin, and Chien Chang Shen / Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences, July - August 2014 RJPBCS 5(4) Page No. 1479
(3)
Arenga tremula / Synonyms / The Plant List
(4)

It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page.


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