Barbel Palm
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| iBarbel Palm | ||||||||||||||
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| Acanthophoenix rubra (Bory) H.Wendl. |
The Barbel Palm (Acanthophoenix rubra, syn. A. crinita), sometimes listed as Red Barbel Palm, Red Palm, Yellow Barbel Palm, or Mascarene Islands Cabbage Palm is a critically endangered palm endemic to Mauritius, Rodrigues, and La Reunion.
This palm was first described as Areca rubra by French naturalist Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1804 and classified by German botanist Hermann Wendland in its own genus Acanthophoenix (of which it is the sole species) in 1867. It can reach a height of 12 m. The trunk is slender, with a diameter of 18 cm. The crown contents of about 10 leaves approximately 3 m in size which are arranged convoluted.
[edit] Threats
The Barbel Palm is endangered due to habitat destruction to make way for sugarcane plantations, and its high value as edible and medicinal plant. The palm heart is a delicacy. About 150 individuals occur in the wild on Mauritius. It is widely grown in cultivation.
[edit] References and external links
- Page (1998). Acanthophoenix rubra. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR B1+2c v2.3)
- Acanthophoenix rubra factsheet
- PACSOA factsheet
