The Mascarene islands have lost the greater part
of their original vegetation. They are (or were) home to many commonly
grown palm species, such as Hyophorbe spp. (Bottle and Spindle Palms),
the Dictyosperma (Hurricane Palm), and the different species of
Latania. Hyophorbe amaricaulis is extinct in the wild but one old
specimen is growing at the Curepipe Botanic Garden in Mauritius.
This sole surviving specimen is very decrepit and could die very
soon, and nobody is able to propagate it. The "Conservation
Action Plan" reports: "The situation of the last remaining
Hyophorbe amaricaulis is desperate. The palm is on the brink of
extinction; it regularly flowers but only produces sterile fruits....
Plants have on several occasions been cloned by
embryo culture at Wye, Edinburgh, and Kew, and tissue culture of
anthers was initially a success at Paris. Unfortunately each time
the plants were removed from aseptic media they died."
Bibliography:
References for Juania, Paschalococos, Pritchardia,
Hyophorbe and almost
all the survey data:
Johnson D. (ed.) and the IUCN/SSC Palm Specialist Group. 1996. Palms:
Their
Conservation and Sustained Utilization. Status Survey and Conservation
Action Plan. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. 116+viii
pp.
Available from: IUCN Publication Service
219c Huntingdon Rd, Cambridge CB2 0DL, UK
Tel.+44.1223.277894 - Fax +44.1223.277175 - www: http://www.iucn.org
The extinct palm Paschalococos has been described
in:
Zizka G. (1991) Flowering Plants of Eastern Island. Palmergarten
3
References for Medemia argun:
Täckholm V. and Drar M. (1950). Flora of Egypt 2. Bull.Fac.Sci.
Cairo Univ.
28: 99-146 and 296-302
Boulos L. in: C.Gómez-Campo (1985). Plant
Conservation in the Mediterranean
Area. Geobotany 7 Dr.W.Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, The Nederlands.
Gibbons M., T.Spanner (1996) Medemia argun Lives!.
Principes 40(2),
pp.65-74
References for Coccothrinax barbadensis:
Morici C. (1997) Coccothrinax barbadensis in Antigua. Principes
41(2),
pp.84-86
Paschalococos and the Disappearing Palms
