Hyophorbe amaricaulis

[edric]

I know most of you are familiar with this palm, I found this photo on a spanish speaking website, Infojardin, Ed

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.infojardin.com/foro/showthread.php%3Ft%3D133398&ei=-XjfS7DbD43q9gT-ruTNBw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CDAQ7gEwCDgy&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddypsis%2Bcanaliculata%26start%3D50%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den

[quaman58]

You know, I've heard about this one a lot. (great picture, it looks really good). But I've never heard anything about the demise of it as a species. Was it always just a small population? How long has there been only one? I'd be interested in some history, if anyone knows of any.

[richnorm]

  On 5/4/2010 at 2:08 AM, quaman58 said:

You know, I've heard about this one a lot. (great picture, it looks really good). But I've never heard anything about the demise of it as a species. Was it always just a small population? How long has there been only one? I'd be interested in some history, if anyone knows of any.

I have a copy of a lithograph from around the late 1800's which depicts a seedling/juvenile plant. It is entitled Hyophorbe amaricaulis!

[sarasota alex]

It's been the only known specimen for the last 50 years. Before then there was a lot of confusion about the Hyophorbe species to know for sure.

[Lowey]

It is still trying to set seed at least.

[Jonathan]

Apparently tissue culture is not successful with this palm.

How about hybridising with another Hyophorbe then back crossing to recreate the original species - or a very similar one?

Very sad.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[Mike in Nelson]

Yes I read that it just won't seed for some reason. Looks very much like the indica.

[Tyrone]

This species was reportedly a very popular species in the 1800's and early 1900's and was in many botanic gardens around the world back then. But two world wars and world turmoil destroyed these plants and later in the twentieth century many thought they had this species, but it turned out to be H indica. When the alarm bells started ringing a couple of decades ago the only one in known existence was the one pictured. A really sad story when you think about it.

[nomolos]

Are Hyophorbes monecious?

[sarasota alex]

  On 5/4/2010 at 2:29 PM, nomolos said:

Are Hyophorbes monecious?

It is, but apparently the male flowers open way before the female flowers. They've been trying to preserve pollen but with no reported success to this point.

[quaman58]

  On 5/4/2010 at 2:08 PM, Tyrone said:

This species was reportedly a very popular species in the 1800's and early 1900's and was in many botanic gardens around the world back then. But two world wars and world turmoil destroyed these plants and later in the twentieth century many thought they had this species, but it turned out to be H indica. When the alarm bells started ringing a couple of decades ago the only one in known existence was the one pictured. A really sad story when you think about it.

Thanks for that Tyrone. Interesting..Do you know if their populations overlapped that of other Hyophorbes or were they on their own island?

[sarasota alex]

  On 5/4/2010 at 2:08 PM, Tyrone said:

This species was reportedly a very popular species in the 1800's and early 1900's and was in many botanic gardens around the world back then. But two world wars and world turmoil destroyed these plants and later in the twentieth century many thought they had this species, but it turned out to be H indica. When the alarm bells started ringing a couple of decades ago the only one in known existence was the one pictured. A really sad story when you think about it.

Does this palm have a given name? Like Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon or Benjamin, the last Thylacine

[JASON M]

Poor thing is almost dead

its getting old... and won't live forever

:(i love hyophorbes

[Tyrone]

  On 5/4/2010 at 4:01 PM, quaman58 said:

  On 5/4/2010 at 2:08 PM, Tyrone said:

This species was reportedly a very popular species in the 1800's and early 1900's and was in many botanic gardens around the world back then. But two world wars and world turmoil destroyed these plants and later in the twentieth century many thought they had this species, but it turned out to be H indica. When the alarm bells started ringing a couple of decades ago the only one in known existence was the one pictured. A really sad story when you think about it.

Thanks for that Tyrone. Interesting..Do you know if their populations overlapped that of other Hyophorbes or were they on their own island?

As far as I know it was only known to exist naturally on Mauritius where this last one is. The only other natural Hyophorbe in Mauritius is H vaughnii, another incredibly rare and extinct in the wild species. There wouldn't be many of that species anywhere either. H indica is from Reunion. The Bottle is from Round Island and the Spindle from Rodrigues Island if my memory serves me correctly. All are on the verge of extinction.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Zeeth]

In the new issue of 'Palms'

"Although it produces many fruits and seeds, no successful germination occurs. The protandry of this unique specimen might cause pollination problems although, of 20 fruits dissected, 18 apparently had normal embryos. In 1987, G.C. Douglas attempted in vitro cultivation of embryos on Murashige and Skoog medium with charcoal added. After culturing 15 embryos for four months, 3 developed roots, and 2 produced shoots. One germinated embryo produced a true leaf. Unfortunately transfer to soil was not achieved. More recently another attempt was made under the control of the Mauritian Ministry of Agriculture. From ripe fruits cropped in 2007, 5 embryos were collected for in vitro cultivation. They all germinated and produced seedlings, developing rootlets, and the experimentation is still in progress"

[PalmatierMeg]

  On 6/24/2010 at 3:49 PM, Zeeth said:

In the new issue of 'Palms'

"Although it produces many fruits and seeds, no successful germination occurs. The protandry of this unique specimen might cause pollination problems although, of 20 fruits dissected, 18 apparently had normal embryos. In 1987, G.C. Douglas attempted in vitro cultivation of embryos on Murashige and Skoog medium with charcoal added. After culturing 15 embryos for four months, 3 developed roots, and 2 produced shoots. One germinated embryo produced a true leaf. Unfortunately transfer to soil was not achieved. More recently another attempt was made under the control of the Mauritian Ministry of Agriculture. From ripe fruits cropped in 2007, 5 embryos were collected for in vitro cultivation. They all germinated and produced seedlings, developing rootlets, and the experimentation is still in progress"

Wow. Hope they succeed in ressurecting this palm. I haven't gotten my issue yet. Maybe today.

[Tyrone]

  On 6/24/2010 at 3:49 PM, Zeeth said:

In the new issue of 'Palms'

"Although it produces many fruits and seeds, no successful germination occurs. The protandry of this unique specimen might cause pollination problems although, of 20 fruits dissected, 18 apparently had normal embryos. In 1987, G.C. Douglas attempted in vitro cultivation of embryos on Murashige and Skoog medium with charcoal added. After culturing 15 embryos for four months, 3 developed roots, and 2 produced shoots. One germinated embryo produced a true leaf. Unfortunately transfer to soil was not achieved. More recently another attempt was made under the control of the Mauritian Ministry of Agriculture. From ripe fruits cropped in 2007, 5 embryos were collected for in vitro cultivation. They all germinated and produced seedlings, developing rootlets, and the experimentation is still in progress"

I really hope they succeed with this one and get a heap going eventually. It would be great in a few years to actually be able to grow this species in cultivation again, but it will be a long time before that happens. Whoever succeeds in getting the seedlings to live and continues to get more going, should be given a huge credit for succeeding.

Tyrone

[BS Man about Palms]

I noticed the article mentioned their 3 H. vaughnii too.

[Mike in Nelson]

  On 6/24/2010 at 11:42 PM, Tyrone said:

  On 6/24/2010 at 3:49 PM, Zeeth said:

In the new issue of 'Palms'

"Although it produces many fruits and seeds, no successful germination occurs. The protandry of this unique specimen might cause pollination problems although, of 20 fruits dissected, 18 apparently had normal embryos. In 1987, G.C. Douglas attempted in vitro cultivation of embryos on Murashige and Skoog medium with charcoal added. After culturing 15 embryos for four months, 3 developed roots, and 2 produced shoots. One germinated embryo produced a true leaf. Unfortunately transfer to soil was not achieved. More recently another attempt was made under the control of the Mauritian Ministry of Agriculture. From ripe fruits cropped in 2007, 5 embryos were collected for in vitro cultivation. They all germinated and produced seedlings, developing rootlets, and the experimentation is still in progress"

I really hope they succeed with this one and get a heap going eventually. It would be great in a few years to actually be able to grow this species in cultivation again, but it will be a long time before that happens. Whoever succeeds in getting the seedlings to live and continues to get more going, should be given a huge credit for succeeding.

Tyrone

Yeah fingers crossed.

[peachy]

  On 5/4/2010 at 8:13 PM, JASON M said:

Poor thing is almost dead

its getting old... and won't live forever

Sounds like me

:(i love hyophorbes

[Carlo Morici]

  On 6/24/2010 at 3:49 PM, Zeeth said:

In the new issue of 'Palms': (...) "From ripe fruits cropped in 2007, 5 embryos were collected for in vitro cultivation. They all germinated and produced seedlings, developing rootlets, and the experimentation is still in progress"

Does anybody have more recent news? Are there five three-year-old seedlings?

Carlo

[Central Floridave]

I just finished reading the Palms article yesterday. Interesting story. I hope it survives and one day sets out seedlings.

[Xenon]

This palm looks rather nice, too bad it's almost extinct .

Jonathan

[Mike in Nelson]

Someone has obviously gone to great lengths to protect it.

[Moose]

  On 5/4/2010 at 11:23 PM, Tyrone said:

  On 5/4/2010 at 4:01 PM, quaman58 said:

  On 5/4/2010 at 2:08 PM, Tyrone said:

This species was reportedly a very popular species in the 1800's and early 1900's and was in many botanic gardens around the world back then. But two world wars and world turmoil destroyed these plants and later in the twentieth century many thought they had this species, but it turned out to be H indica. When the alarm bells started ringing a couple of decades ago the only one in known existence was the one pictured. A really sad story when you think about it.

Thanks for that Tyrone. Interesting..Do you know if their populations overlapped that of other Hyophorbes or were they on their own island?

As far as I know it was only known to exist naturally on Mauritius where this last one is. The only other natural Hyophorbe in Mauritius is H vaughnii, another incredibly rare and extinct in the wild species. There wouldn't be many of that species anywhere either. H indica is from Reunion. The Bottle is from Round Island and the Spindle from Rodrigues Island if my memory serves me correctly. All are on the verge of extinction.

Best regards

Tyrone