Oncosperma tigillarium

Oncosperma tigillarium
Left - seen here growing in Wilson Botanical Garden in Costa Rica this beautiful palm is actually covered in fearsome spines all over and changes in character from elegant and exotic to imposing, and a bit scary when seen close up. It is the main source of 'Millionaires Salad', so called because you must fell a whole trunk to obtain the relatively small amount of edible, asparagus like flesh in the centre of the crown. The 'Nibung' palm as it is known in S.E Asia is not killed outright by this because it is a clump forming palm and other trunks may grow from it's base, but the cut stem cannot re shoot as palms only form one apical bud - or growing shoot.
Suitable only for equatorial climates.