Palms   Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii

Conservation Status:
P. aylmer-robinsonii is on the US Federal Endangered species list and is critically endangered. According to Ref 3, only 2 palms remain in habitat.

Distribution & Habitat:
The type grows on the privately owned Hawaiian island of Niihau, close to the northwest coast of Kauai.

Description:
Large palms, 7-15 metres high, with a slim ringed trunk around 200-300 mm in diameter. The crown is dense and untidy looking due to the deeply divided leaves with drooping tips. The leaves are smooth on both surfaces. The drooping inflorescence is shorter than the petiole, the fruits are ovoid, approximately 20 x 18 mm and the seed is 13-15 mm in diameter.

General: In 1947, Harold St. John discovered a new species in Niihau. He named it Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii after Aylmer F. Robinson, a member of the family that owns the island. This palm is a tall variant of P. remota . Wagner, Herbst & Sohmer have classified a number of palms as belonging to the Pritchardia remota complex. The additional palms are P. glabrata and P. napaliensis , in addition, D. W. Read included P. wailealeana within the remota complex.

Culture:
This palm is in cultivation but is rare.

Figure 1. P. aylmer-robinsonii

References:

1. Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R. & Sohmer, S.H. (1990) Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii Vol. 1-2. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii.

2. Beccari and Rock, Pritchardia 1921

3. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Fish and Wildlife Service, 50 CFR Part 17 RIN 1018AB88 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for the Hawaiian Plant Pritchardia Aylmer-robinsonii Acknowledgements:

Contributed by:	Chris King (Text)
	Greg Roulinavage (Figure 1)

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