Pyramid spiral palm
| Pyramid spiral palm | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Pandanus pyramidalis | ||||||||||||
| Barkly ex Balf.f. |
The pyramidal spiral palm ( Pandanus pyramidalis ) is an extremely rare or already extinct plant species from the genus of the screw trees ( Pandanus ). It is endemic to Mauritius .
description
The tree-shaped growing pyramid spiral palm reaches heights of growth of up to 9 meters. The straight trunk reaches a diameter of 8 to 10 inches. The bark is dark brown. The horizontal or slightly bent branches end in drooping clusters of leaves. The thick, leather-like, pointed lanceolate, parallel- veined leaves are 61 to 152 cm long and 2.5 to 5 cm wide. Both sides of the leaf are covered in dark green to a little grayish. The leaf margins are red. Except in the middle, the leaves are protected by short red-tipped spines. The midrib is protruding. The upper half is prickly.
habitat
The habitat of the pyramid spiral palm are river meadows in the central highlands of Mauritius.
status
The last known specimen of the species died in 1996 due to a plant disease. A total of eight individuals at the Bonnefin grotto near Curepipe and a single specimen in a river reserve near La Marie were known. The reasons for the disappearance of the pyramid spiral palm were the transformation of the habitat into settlements and agricultural areas. The fruits and fibers of the palm were used commercially. Germinating seeds or young plants were never found.
literature
- Jean M. Bosser, Martin Callmander, Joseph Guého: Flore des Mascareignes: la Réunion, Maurice, Rodrigues. 190 pandanacées . The Sugar Industry Research Institute, Mauritius, ORSTOM, Paris and RBG, Kew, 2003, p. 24 .
- RE Vaughan, PO Wiehe: The genus Pandanus in the Mascarene Islands . In: Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society . tape 55 , 1953, pp. 1-32 .
- John Gilbert Baker : Flora of Mauritius and the Seychelles: A Description of the Flowering Plants . L. Reeve & Co., London 1877 (Reprint: Asian Educational Services, 1999, ISBN 81-206-1427-5 ), digitized .
Web links
- Description (English)
- Pandanus pyramidalis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2007 Posted by: D. Florens (TPTNC), 2000. Accessed June 23 of 2008.