Richard

The following note appeared on p. 48 of the March/April 2008 edition of "The American Gardner", the flagship publication of American Horticultural Society.



NEW PALM GENUS DISCOVERED
While the news of vanishing species is
common these days, we rarely hear about
the discovery of a new species. But in
Madagascar, a palm has been discovered
that is so unusual it required not just the
naming of a new species, but the creation
of an entirely new genus.

When local residents Xavier and
Nathalie Metz saw the palm’s gigantic floral
display, they suspected they had stumbled
onto a previously unknown plant.
Samples sent to the Royal Botanic Gardens
at Kew, England, confirmed the discovery,
which was documented in the
January 2008 issue of the Botanical Journal
of the Linnean Society.

Scientists named the plant Tahina
spectabilis (Tahina means “to be protected”
or “blessed” in Malagasy, the national
language of Madagascar). The 30-foot tree
bears fan-shaped leaves up to 15 feet across.
One of a few species known as “suicide
palms,” it grows for decades, then consumes
every last bit of energy producing
one spectacular inflorescence—in essence
blooming itself to death.

Efforts are being made to preserve the
remaining Tahina palms—about 90
specimens have been found since the initial
discovery in 2006—and local farmers
as well as researchers and botanical
gardens around the world are cultivating
and conserving collected seeds.

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mskitty38583

thats awesome. thanks for sharing this.

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tropical-pete

WOW, now that's pretty cool!

Thanks, take care

Pete

dablo93

I readed that 2 months ago or so, its really a special palm!

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Richard

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