Quindio wax palm
| Quindio wax palm | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quindio wax palm ( Ceroxylon quindiuense ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ceroxylon quindiuense | ||||||||||||
| ( H.Karst. ) H.Wendl. |
The Quindio wax palm ( Ceroxylon quindiuense ), formerly also known as the Quindiu wax palm , is a species of the palm family (Arecaceae). It was discovered by Alexander von Humboldt in 1801 and is native to Colombia . It is considered to be the tallest palm species in the world. The Quindio wax palm has been the national tree of Colombia since 1985.
features
The trunks reach heights of 15 to 50 meters (rarely 60 meters) and a diameter of 20 to 40 centimeters. The Quindio wax palm grows very slowly and can live for several hundred years. The mature palms are characterized by a thick layer of wax on the bark. The crown is almost round. There are 18 to 30 palm fronds that are 4.5 to 5.5 meters long and grow upwards. The palm fronds consist of 70 to 110 regularly arranged, hanging pinnate leaves that are dark green on the upper side and covered with a thick, woolly, whitish or yellowish fluff on the underside, which can be 60 centimeters long.
The smooth, spherical, orange-red to bright red fruits have a diameter of 1.7 to 1.9 centimeters.
Occurrence
The Quindio wax palm is found on the eastern and western slopes of the central Andes in the administrative areas of Antioquia , Quindío , Risaralda and Tolima , on the slopes of the western Andes in the province of Valle del Cauca and on the slopes of the east in the provinces of Cundinamarca , Norte de Santander and Putumayo in front. The habitat are mountain rainforests at altitudes between 2000 and 3000 meters.
use
The young palm fronds are used for the Palm Sunday processions. Garden fences and house walls are made from the wood. In the 19th century candles were made from the wax obtained.
ecology
The Quindio wax palm provides habitat and food for several animal species. The rare yellow-bellied parakeet prefers this species as a breeding tree. The palm hearts are part of the food supply of the spectacled bear and the ripe fruits serve as food for the green jay , the giant thrush and the leek arassari .
Danger
The Quindio wax palm is classified as endangered ( vulnerable ) by the IUCN . This species is under enormous pressure from the spread of agriculture and cattle breeding in the Colombian Andean regions. The cattle eat the seedlings so that hardly any young trees can grow. The fronds are excessively collected for religious festivals. Because of the use of wood, many old trees are cut down despite legal protection. The Quindio wax palm can be grown in cultivation and is displayed in parks in Bogotá and Quito .
literature
- Andrew Henderson, Gloria Galeano, Rodrigo Bernal: Field guide to the palms of the Americas , Princeton University Press, 1997. ISBN 978-0691016009
- Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft: An encyclopedia of cultivated palms , Timber Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0881925586
Web links
- Ceroxylon quindiuense in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: R. Bernal, 1998. Accessed July 16 of 2009.