Botanical Name : Corypha utan/Corypha elata
a.k.a. Gebang (Malay)/Buri
The "bronzy-leaved" palms are such a cheerful contrast to the park greens with steel masses in the background. Actually, there were two groups of the Gebang palms in the KLCC park. These being so eye-catching, one could not miss....
One batch were planted beside the C. umbraculifera and some larger, shadier trees. They seemed okay but less happy.
This batch on the undulating ground beside the man-made stream and an adjacent pedestrian bridge looks absolutely vibrant and "sun tanned" in the the open. Just stunning!
These palms are found in India, throughout South-east Asia and even at the tip of Northern Australia. Their habitat are mainly along river courses, flood plains and grassy land. These large and tall palms do grow to heights of about 20m. Like the C. umbraculifera, they also flower towards the end of their lifetime with a massive display of a long inflorescence with countless flowers.
The woody trunk is capped with many petiole ends, all armed with spines!
