ECOLOTY AND PRODUCTION OF GLUCIDE PRODUCTTNG PALMS IN SOUTHWEST PACIFIC : EXPLORATIONAND EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL UTILITIES AS A NEW RESOURC

2002年在瓦努阿图的Espritu Santo和Malakura进行了Metroxylon warburnus的实地调查，2003年在斐济的Vanua Levu和Viti Levu进行了M.vitiense和M.warburnus的实地调查，2004年在萨摩亚的Upolu进行了M.waburnus和M.paulcoxii（1998年以前为M.upoluense）的实地调查。考虑到2000年在瓦努阿图的Gaua上的M.salomonense和M. warburburgum以及2001年在密克罗尼西亚的Moen、Uman和波恩佩上的M.amicarum的结果，与分布在东南亚和美拉尼西亚的Metroxylon组（Eumetroxylon）的M.sagu（即西米棕榈）相比，分布在南太平洋和西太平洋的Metroxylon属Coecoloccus组的棕榈的淀粉产量较低。结果表明，胶球藻组棕榈树淀粉产量低的主要原因是：胶球藻的个体较小，髓干物质含量低，髓淀粉含量低（胶球藻的个体较小，但产量构成因素因只有一个个体而无法测定）。然而，髓中的总糖含量较高的组Coelococcus在M.sagu.这些被认为与一些特性有关：M.sagu主要通过吸盘繁殖，产生的种子显示出非常差的发芽率，而Coelococcus组的棕榈不产生任何吸盘，产生的种子显示出非常高的发芽率。

The field surveys were conducted for Metroxylon warburgii on Espritu Santo and Malakura, Vanuatu in 2002,M.vitiense and M.warburgii on Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, Fiji in 2003 and M.waburgii and M.paulcoxii (M.upoluense before 1998) on Upolu, Samoa in 2004. Considering the results of M.salomonense and M.warburgii on Gaua, Vanuatu in 2000 and of M.amicarum on Moen, Uman and Pohnpei, Micronesia in 2001,the starch yield of palms of genus Metroxylon section Coecoloccus that are distributed southern and western Pacific in was low in comparison with M.sagu (namely sago palm) of section Metroxylon (Eumetroxylon) that is distributed in Southeast Asia and Melanesia. The low starch yield of the palms of section Coelococcus was attributed for some factors as follows : comparatively small size in M.warburgii, low dry matter percentage of pith and low starch content in pith in all species (In M.paulcoxii, the palm size was small, but the yield components were not measured because only one individual was found). However, the total sugar content in pith was higher in palms of section Coelococcus that in M.sagu. These were considered to be related with some characteristics : M.sagu is mainly propagated by the suckers and produces seeds that show very poor germinability, and the palms of section Coelococcus do not produce any suckers produce seeds that show very high germination percentage.