Bismarckia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Subfamily: | Coryphoideae |
Tribe: | Borasseae |
Genus: | Bismarckia Hildebr. & H.Wendl. |
Species: | B. nobilis |
Binomial name | |
Bismarckia nobilis | |
Bismarckia is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family with Bismarckia nobilis being the only species in the genus and is endemic to western and northern Madagascar, where it grows in open grassland. [3] [4] [5]
Bismarckia nobilis is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. [6]
The genus Bismarckia is named for the first chancellor of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck. The epithet (or species name) nobilis comes from Latin for 'noble'. [6]
In its native Madagascar, Bismarckia nobilis is known in Malagasy as satrana. [4]
Bismarckia nobilis grows from solitary trunks, gray to tan in color, which show ringed indentations from old leaf bases. Trunks are 30 to 45 cm in diameter, slightly bulging at the base, and free of leaf bases in all but its youngest parts. In their natural habitat they can reach above 25 meters in height but usually get no taller than 12 m in cultivation. The nearly rounded leaves are enormous in maturity, over 3 m wide, and are divided to a third its length into 20 or more stiff, once-folded segments, themselves split on the ends. The leaves are induplicate and costapalmate, producing a wedge-shaped hastula where the blade and petiole meet. Petioles are 2–3 m, slightly armed, and are covered in a white wax as well as cinnamon-colored caducous scales; the nearly-spherical leaf crown is 7.5 m wide and 6 m tall. These palms are dioecious and produce pendent, interfoliar inflorescences of small brown flowers which, in female plants, mature to a brown ovoid drupe, each containing a single seed. [4]
Bismarckia is native to Madagascar, an island well known for its rich diversity of unique taxa and is home to a diverse flora. Whilst the genus Bismarckia is comprised of only the single species Bismarckia nobilis, Madagascar itself is home to around 170 species of native palms of which 165 are solely native to Madagascar). [7]
In Madagascar, Bismarckia nobilis grows at elevations between sea level and 800m across the plains and plateaus of the central highlands, nearly reaching the western and northern coasts, in savannas of low grass, usually in lateritic soil. [8] [9] As much of this land has been cleared with fire for agricultural use, Bismarckia nobilis, along with other fire-resistant trees like Ravenala madagascariensis and Uapaca bojeri , are the most conspicuous components of this arid region. [8]
As of November 2024, the most recent International Union for Conservation (IUCN) Red List assessment was conducted in December 2010 and published in 2021, and Bismarckia nobilis was classified as a species of Least Concern. This assessment described the species as being widespread and common in its native range with mature individuals likely to exceed 10,000 plants; however, it was noted that the species is facing certain threats including a loss of habitat due to agricultural expansion, increasing frequency of fires, and mining activities in parts of its range. [9]
In its native range the leaves and the pith of the palm is sometimes eaten as food and the species is also exploited for its timber. [10] [9]
Bismarck palms are grown throughout the tropics and subtropics under favorable microclimates. They are grown in many parts of Indonesia, Australia, as well as in landscaping in the United Arab Emirates. In the United States, they are planted in several areas of Florida, a few areas of Southern California, southern and southeastern Texas, and southern Arizona. [11]
Taxonomically, Bismarckia is monotypic genus, with Bismarckia nobilis being the only species, with no recognized subspecies or taxonomic varieties. [4] [3] [5] In horticulture however, some growers recognize a difference between individuals based on leaf coloration, describing a more commonly grown 'silver variety' (or alternatively form or selection) and a 'green variety' with some growers claiming the green leaf variety is less hardy to cold. [6] [12] [13]
Bismarckia nobilis is considered to be highly tolerant of drought conditions but thrives in high rainfall areas and are moderately tolerant of sea spray. [14] [15] Palms are tolerant of a wide range of soils but can be susceptible to potassium deficiency. [14] Because of their massive crowns, they need plenty of room in a landscape area. [6]
This article is written like a manual or guide.(June 2017) |
Bismarck palms are easy to grow in the right environment as they are adaptable to a wide range of soils and prefer to have good drainage as the Bismarck does not like to have root rot. The Bismarck palm can adapt to either acidic or alkaline soil and prefers to be watered directly into the root system or sprayed through the palm heart. When planting the Bismarck palm make sure to not to cover up any part of the trunk, as this will lead to problems as the Bismarck palm is susceptible to be eaten by microorganisms that live naturally in soil and other mediums. [11]
Roystonea is a genus of eleven species of monoecious palms, native to the Neotropics, in the Caribbean, the adjacent coasts of Florida in the United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named after Roy Stone, a U.S. Army engineer. It contains some of the most recognizable and commonly cultivated palms of tropical and subtropical regions.
Ravenea is a genus of 20 known species of palms, all native to Madagascar and the Comoros.
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, also known by its synonym Dypsis lutescens and as golden cane palm, areca palm, yellow palm, butterfly palm, or bamboo palm, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae, native to Madagascar and naturalized in the Andaman Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Réunion, El Salvador, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Canary Islands, southern Florida, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Leeward Islands and the Leeward Antilles. Its native names are rehazo and lafahazo.
Dypsis decaryi is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is commonly known as the triangle palm. It is indigenous to the Madagascar rainforest. Some specimens grow to a height of some 15 metres (49 ft) in the wild. It is relatively new to cultivation however, so outside its native habitat it rarely achieves anything like that height. The leaves are about 2.5 metres in length, growing almost upright from the trunk and arching gracefully outward about a metre from their tips. The leaf bases are arranged in three vertical columns set about 120 degrees apart on the main stem, forming a triangular shape in cross section. This shape has given rise to the palm's common name.
Dypsis onilahensis is a species of palm tree in the family Arecaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar as is reflected in the species name (onilahensis) referring to the Onilahy River, south of Toliara. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Lemurophoenix halleuxii is a species of palm tree, the only species in the genus Lemurophoenix. It is found only in Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss and overcollection. There are perhaps 300 mature individuals remaining in the wild.
Masoala kona is a species of flowering plant in the Palm Family. It is a palm endemic to Madagascar, where it grows in rainforests. There are fewer than 60 individuals estimated to remain. Its most remarkable feature is that its leaves bear the longest "segments" of any plant; up to 8.2 feet in length. A leaf segment has a broad attachment to the rachis rather than a petiolule. It differs from a lobed leaf in that the lamina (leaf) is not continuous. The species is threatened by habitat loss.
Ravenea albicans is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a palm endemic to northeast Madagascar and found in seven fragmented locations between the towns of Ampasimanolotra and Antalaha with the exception of one location much farther south near Vondrozo. It is an endangered species threatened by habitat loss. There are perhaps 200 mature individuals remaining. In its natural range it tends to grow in humid forests within northeast Madagascar's mountain valleys. It is unique among the Ravenea genus because its pinnate leaves have an exotic, colorful appearance. Its species name, albicans, is derived from the Latin word for the color white, album, as is the word for albinism. The base of each frond is green, yet they become white to dark grey near the tip at maturity. Some individuals have completely white fronds.
Ravenea musicalis, or the river palm, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. Also known by the Antanosy word "torendriky," meaning "submerged trunk", R. musicalis is known for being the only truly aquatic palm tree. Like many mangrove trees, R. musicalis seeds germinate within the fruit, and the seedling takes root underwater. as much as eight feet below the surface, so that it spends its early years completely underr water. Endemic to Madagascar, R. musicalis was first discovered in 1993 by Henk Beentje on an expedition funded by the McDonald's restaurant. although of course it was ethnoknown by the Antanosy People for centuries. This palm is listed in the IUCN Red List. This tree is harvested by local people primarily for building material and food. Over-harvesting, habitat degradation and habitat loss threaten the remaining populations. Horticulturalists prize R. musicalis for its rarity and unique life history.
Satranala decussilvae is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a palm endemic to Madagascar. It is the only species in the genus Satranala, and is threatened by habitat loss. There are perhaps 200 mature individuals remaining.
Tahina spectabilis, the tahina palm, also called blessed palm or dimaka is a species of gigantic palm that is found only in the Analalava District of northwestern Madagascar where its range is only twelve acres, one of the most extreme examples of endemism known. It can grow 18 m (59 ft) tall and has palmate leaves over 5 m (16 ft) across. The trunk is up to 20 in (51 cm) thick, and sculpted with conspicuous leaf scars. An individual tree was discovered when in flower in 2007; it was first described the following year as a result of photographs being sent to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom for identification. The palm is thought to live for up to fifty years before producing an enormous inflorescence up to 19.5 ft (5.9 m) in height and width, surpassed in size only by Corypha spp. and by Metroxylon salomonense and, being monocarpic, subsequently dying. The inflorescence, a panicle, consists of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of three-flowered clusters which bloom in three consecutive, synchronized "cohorts" or flushes of bloom. The nearest equivalent pattern of flowering is in the flowering vine Bougainvillea where the three flowers bloom sequentially, but not synchronized. Fewer than one hundred adult individuals of the species are thought to exist and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as "critically endangered".
Eremospatha is a genus of climbing flowering plants in the palm family found in tropical Africa. These rattans are uncommon in cultivation and poorly understood by taxonomists. Closely related to Laccosperma, they are differentiated by the near complete absence of bracts and bracteoles. The name is from Greek meaning 'without a spathe'.
Beccariophoenix madagascariensis, commonly known as the coastal beccariophoenix, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is a large Coconut relative that is vulnerable in its habitat in Madagascar.
Mauritiella is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America where it is commonly called buriti. It is named after the similar and closely related genus Mauritia.
Neonicholsonia is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family native to Central America. The sole species is Neonicholsonia watsonii. The genus and species names honor George Nicholson, a former curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and his successor William Watson.
Beccariophoenix alfredii, also known as the high plateau coconut palm, is a recently discovered species of Arecaceae (palms), endemic to Madagascar. It is in the genus Beccariophoenix, and is closely related to the genus Cocos. Beccariophoenix alfredii is very similar in appearance to the coconut palm, although somewhat cold hardy, making it a good look-alike for the coconut in cooler climates.
Dypsis brevicaulis is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a dwarf palm found on only three sites in Madagascar, with fewer than fifty plants ever found in the wild. The plant is part of the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants, a study of representative species from all over the world which is studying extinction trends for plants.
Dypsis humilis is a rare species of stemless palm that was discovered in Madagascar in 2007 by a collaboration between botanists from Madagascar and Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. Fewer than ten plants were observed in an area that is threatened by logging and other human activity.
Borasseae is a tribe in the palm subfamily Coryphoideae. The tribe ranges from southern Africa and Madagascar north through the Arabian Peninsula to India, Indochina, Indonesia and New Guinea. Several genera are restricted to islands in the Indian Ocean. The two largest genera, Hyphaene and Borassus, are also the most widespread.
Dypsis baronii is a species of palm tree in the family Arecaceae. It is otherwise known as "sugarcane palm" because of the scars on its trunks that resemble sugarcane.