Panama hat plant

botany

Also known as: Carludovica palmata, Panama hat palm, iraca

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The Panama hat plant, scientifically known as Carludovica palmata, belongs to the Cyclanthaceae family. These are palmlike plants native to Central and South America. The young leaves of this plant are harvested, cut into strips, and bleached to be woven into the famous Panama hats. The plant is also referred to as jipijapa. The Carludovica genus is distinguished from true palms by its flowers and fruit structure.1234

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Cyclanthaceae
Panama hat palm order of monocotyledonous flowering plants, which has 11 genera of mostly stemless, perennial, palmlike herbs, woody herbaceous shrubs, and climbing vines that are distributed in Central America and tropical South America.
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Panama hat palm order of monocotyledonous flowering plants, which has 11 genera of mostly stemless, perennial, palmlike herbs, woody herbaceous shrubs, and climbing vines that are distributed in Central America and tropical South America.
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South America
Specialized cash crops
The iraca, a plant with the appearance of a stemless palm, is cultivated in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador. Its fibres, extracted from young leaves, are woven into Panama hats.
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The iraca, a plant with the appearance of a stemless palm, is cultivated in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador. Its fibres, extracted from young leaves, are woven into Panama hats.
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