| Livistona mariae | |
|---|---|
| Livistona mariae, Palm Valley in the Finke Gorge National Park |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Livistona |
| Species: | L. mariae |
| Binomial name | |
| Livistona mariae F.Muell. |
|
Livistona mariae, commonly called Central Australian cabbage palm, is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is found only in Australia with the best-known occurrence found in Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park, Northern Territory. There are more than 3,000 cabbage palms in Palm Valley, many of which are several hundred years old and form a lush oasis among the rugged rocks and gorges. The palms are relics from a previous age when Central Australia was much wetter whereas this region is now largely dry Central Ranges xeric scrubland.