Palms   Acanthophoenix rubra

Acanthophoenix rubra indigenous to Reunion and Mauritius, photographed in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Pamplemousses, Mauritius. Of all the palm-lined pathways in this historic gardens the avenues of Acanthophoenix are the most colourful and graceful. The name A. crinita is, apparently, synonymous however specimens cultivated under this name in the Jardin Botanique de Curepipe, Mauritius, appear more robust and less colourful. In 1804 this species was placed in the genus Areca and by another author described as a Calamus . The trunk is usually unarmed however the crownshaft and petioles are covered with black spines. A five year old specimen in the ground at Bardon, Brisbane, is slow growing but healthy, unmarked by cold or winds and is just starting to show the distinctive colouring in the leaf-bases.

Figure 1.

Figure 2. Attractive A. rubra seedling.

Contributed by:	David Tanswell (from PALMS & CYCADS No. 49, Oct-Dec 1995).
	Ian Edwards (Figure 2).

For further information try
		Monocot Checklist	Links