Hyophorbe amaricaulis

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Hyophorbe amaricaulis

Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Hyophorbe
Species:	H. amaricaulis
Binomial name
*Hyophorbe amaricaulis* Mart.
Synonyms
Mascarena revaughanii L. H. Bailey

Hyophorbe amaricaulis (also known as Loneliest palm)^[1] is a hurricane palm of the order Arecales, family Arecaceae, subfamily Arecoideae, tribe Hyophorbeae. It is found exclusively on the island of Mauritius, and only a single surviving specimen^[2] has been documented in the Curepipe Botanic Gardens in Curepipe. Thus, this the most gravely threatened species there is, in any kingdom. It is reported to have white to cream-colored flowers, but years and years of efforts have not resulted in fertile offspring.

A close-up view of Hyophorbe amaricaulis leaves

The palm is about 12 meters high with a relatively thin gray trunk with a waxy crown shank. It is related to the bottle palm and spindle palm. It is said to resemble the green variety of H. indica.

References

↑ "Loneliest palm (Hyophorbe amaricaulis)". ARKive. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
↑ Mabberley, D.J. (1997). The Plant-Book, 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press, UK. ISBN 0-521-41421-0.

Ian Parker, "Digging for Dodos", The New Yorker, January 22, 2007, pp. 64–73.
This article is based in part on the article in the German Wikipedia.

External links

IUCN red list

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