Nipa palm

Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans), also called mangrove palm, is an unusual palm of the palm family (Arecaceae) that lives in mangrove forest, with a creeping trunk buried in the mud so that only the rhizome and a rosette of leaves rise above the water; it grows 3–9 m tall and forms dense colonies. Its very large pinnate leaves, 5–9 m long, are the largest in the palm family and grow in clumps from the rhizome. It is monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same plant, borne on a short stalk; the fruit is a head-like aggregate of flattened drupes, whose young seeds contain a translucent edible endosperm. It is the only palm adapted to mangrove forest, ranging from South Asia and Southeast Asia to northern Australia; in Vietnam it grows along the coast and estuaries such as Can Gio, Ben Tre and Ca Mau.

The nipa palm is a multipurpose plant of mangrove areas: the large leaves are used for thatching roofs (nipa huts), weaving, fans and baskets; the leaf stalks make brooms and fuel; the young seed (endosperm) is edible and can be made into sweets or a refreshing drink; sap from the inflorescences can be fermented into wine and vinegar. Environmentally, the nipa palm is important for preventing coastal erosion, stabilising muddy soils, storing carbon (blue carbon) and supporting fishery ecosystems; its biomass is also studied for ethanol and butanol production. It grows in tropical estuaries and coasts on muddy, brackish waterlogged soil and tolerates tides; it is propagated by seed or offshoots. In Vietnam it is concentrated in Can Gio, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Ca Mau, both protecting the coast and supplying thatching leaves.