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Palmtalk, I know where it came from and I even have the story. It comes from Auburn, California which is about 40 miles east of Sacramento in the Sierra foothills. The elevation is about 1,540 feet in elevation and with cold storms maybe six inches of snow can accumulate. Lows can be in the low to mid 20's and the record low for the town is 16 degrees. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE PALM WAS PLANTED IN THE EARLY PART OF THE 20th CENTURY. Here is the story and thank GOD the tree trimmer knew that it was special: http://auburnjournal.com/detail/131589.html Patrick

Tom, this thread has somehow kept going. I actually wanted to stop the discussion because of it's potential to get too heated. At the end of the day you and I are just two insignificant people in the bigger scheme of things, so whether we can make a difference is anyones guess. But you wanted species names, documents etc etc. Here's some to look at. Ravenea xerophila- critically endangered. Not protected. Seriously threatened by overgrazing by local graziers. That means any seed that falls to the ground is basically wasted. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38680/0 Dypsis hovomantsina -critically endangered. Major pressure from agriculture. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38537/0 Dypsis ampasindavae- critically endangered. Threatened by tree poaching http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38517/0 Dypsis tsaravoasira - critically endangered. Threatened by agriculture. Was not on IUCN database so is underneath the international radar. Dypsis nauseosa - critically endangered. Habitat destruction http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38548/0 Dypsis oropedionis - critically endangered. Threatened by fire and tree cutting. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38552/0 Dypsis tokoravina - critically endangered. Threatened by agricultural pressure. Not listed on IUCN database so is underneath the international radar. Dypsis ifanadiannae - critically endangered. Threatened by habitat destruction. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38538/0 Dypsis saintelucei - critically endangered. Threatened by mineral sand mining. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38562/0 Dypsis decipiens - critically endangered. Threatened by habitat destruction and fire. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38532/0 Dypsis ambositrae - critically endangered, presumed extinct in the wild in 2000. Since rediscovered in the wild. Threatened by habitat destruction and fire. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38737/0 Dypsis arenarum - critically endangered. Threatened by habitat destruction and fire. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38520/0 Dypsis psammophila - critically endangered. Threatened by habitat destruction and fire. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38559/0 Voanioala gerardii - critically endangered. Threatened by habitat destruction and palm heart harvesting. Almost zero natural regeneration. Presumed dispersal mechanism is an extinct giant bird. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/38723/0 The information above came from the IUCN website, "Palms of Madagascar" by John Dransfield and Henk Beentje and the Kew Gardens website. Apart from Dypsis ambositrae, Kew and other government institutions have no visible conservation involvement with the above species. (If they do, please tell me.) This is no criticism of Kew, as they can't do everything and their funds are not unlimited. Kew has done most if not all of the necessary study and documentation of the palms of Madagascar. All of the species mentioned above are on the verge of extinction. Some may exist in conservation zones, however that basically affords them no protection as they are still being cut down for various reasons. I'm not recommending a wholesale seed collecting frenzy of these species, but unless an ex situ effort is made, these species will likely become extinct. In my own case I have around 100 Dypsis decipiens and Dypsis ambositrae seedlings which could keep the species in existence on the planet IF these species disappeared from the wild. Others also have them in cultivation around the world. As the habitat of these species is being destroyed there is no argument in my mind to leave 100% of the seed to drop on the ground. I would not advocate 100% seed collection either. Just how close we came to losing Dypsis ambositrae is absolutely scary and it was not as a result of seed collectors. Best regards Tyrone