Acanthophoenix crinita

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Figure 1. A. crinita.

Common Names:

Palmiste noir (black palm)

Distribution & Habitat:

Endemic to Reunion Island, we can find it till 1500/1700 meters altitude. It grows in humid and often foggy areas.

Description:

That solitary, monoecious palm is rare in Reunion island, cause it was used for the cabbage. Thus, is very threatened species. The trunk have black spines, like the underside of the leaves (like the Acanthophoenix rubra). It is smaller than the red palmist (Acanthophoenix rubra), with 5 meters height max.

Cultivation:

It can support the sun, even when young. He need moderate water, without excess. It can support low temperatures, like 0 degrees C or minus like -2°C but for really short periods. Even there, it is sadly known to be hard to germinate.

Figure 2. A. crinita

Figure 3. A. crinita in center of the island, at 1500m altitude, in theBelouve forest.

Figure 4. A. crinita

Contributed by:

Franck Feuillade (Text & Figure 1,2,3&4)

External Links:

Kew, PalmWeb, JSTOR, Trebrown

Google, Google Images, Flickr, PACSOA Forums, PalmTalk