Common name: cabbage fan palm, cabbage tree palm, daranggara (Cadigal), cabbage palm, fan palm
Livistona australis (R.Br.) Mart. APNI* 
Description: Tree with solitary stem up to 30 m high (occasionally more), up to 50 cm diam., marked with annular scars and furrows.
Leaves 3–4.5 m long, fairly stiff, bright green, shiny, in terminal crown; lamina circular, c. 2 m diam., thin textured, divided into c. 70 divided segments; petiole 1.5–2.5 m long, c. 6 cm across tapering to c. 2 cm at apex, erect or decurved, margins with recurved spines mostly towards the base.
Panicle c. 1 m long, arising amongst the leaves; spathes several, 15–25 cm long; flowers 3–5 mm diam., cream-white; stamens 6; ovary 3-lobed.
Fruit globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., red turning black, 1-seeded.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread in coastal districts. NC, CC, SC; Qld, Vic. Grows in moist sclerophyll forest, often in swampy sites, and on margins of rainforest.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
These plants were popular with Aboriginal people and early settlers for their tasty 'cabbage', the growing point.
Text by A. K. Brooks
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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