Palms   Coccothrinax spissa

Common Names: Guano, Swollen Silver Thatch palm Conservation Status: Severely endangered, both by urban development and grazing activities. Distribution & Habitat: Dominican Republic Description: Medium sized solitary fan palm to about 5m, with a distinctive swollen "belly" in the middle of the trunk. It has slender pinnate leaves, with silvery undersides. Culture: Sunny, moist, but well drained position.

Figure 1. C. spissa at Fairchild Botanic Gardens

Figure 2. C. spissa showing the very distinctive "belly".

Figure 3. C. spissa in habitat, Dominican Republic.

Contributed by:	Gileno Machado (Figure 1)
	Jack Sayers (Figure 2)
	Bo-Gran Lundkvist, Lundkvist Palm Garden (Figure 3)

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