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Presently there are at least fifty known distinct palm species in Australia, belonging to nineteen genera. There are only six endemic genera, the remaining thirteen can also be found in nearby countries, particularly in Papua New Guinea.
Tropical and sub-tropical areas of Australia are the home of Australian palms particularly in the Daintree rainforest. Palm Valley in the heart of the harsh and arid Australian Outback is an exception as it is the only place in the world where you will find groves of Red Cabbage Palms. Walking the ancient valley floor beneath the groves of Red Cabbage Palms, visitors get a glimpse of Central Australia’s tropical past. These palms survive today despite the harsh and relentless surrounding desert because the area is an oasis.
One of the most distinctive palms in the Wet Tropics, the Fan Palm is perhaps best known because of its extensive use on tourism brochures and as a garden specimen in resorts. It appears shrub sized when used in landscaping but these are merely young plants. The Fan palm (Licuala ramsayi) has a central trunk and eventually grows to a majestic height of over 6m (30 feet) with its crown of palmate leaves, each up to 2m wide. The Valley of the Palms in the Daintree area is a small area dominated by Fan palms which becomes muddy and slightly flooded during the rainy season. Many tall, flowering specimens can be seen at Cape Tribulation.
The Australian palm genera can be summarised according to their origins as follows:Endemic species – Archontophoenix, Arenga, Carpentaria, Calamus, Caryota, Cocos, Corypha, Gronophyllum,Laccospadix, Normanbya, Oraniopsis, Ptychosperma, & Wodyetia. Non Endemic – Gulubia, Hydriastele, Licuala, Linospadix, Livistona, & Nypa.
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