Trachycarpus range map

[Tobias Valentin]

Testing, testing.
In this map, I have included new species and forms of Trachycarpus.
Also, the map includes an estimated potential genus range extension.

Map: http://tobiasvalentin.dk

Greetings,

Tobias

[stevethegator]

Does trachycarpus fortunei have any "natural" populations or is it only found in cultivation?

[Brad Mondel]

Can you share a larger file so I can read the labels? thanks for this!

[Tobias Valentin]

Can you share a larger file so I can read the labels? thanks for this!

The large file is in the link.

www.tobiasvalentin.dk

On that page, you can view the map full size.

[Tobias Valentin]

Does trachycarpus fortunei have any "natural" populations or is it only found in cultivation?

Trachycarpus fortunei is not (yet) known in the wild. It has been cultivated for a long period of time. Sometimes we see pictures from interior of southern China, where populations occur on cliffs, but their exact locations are unknown, and it has not been confirmed whether they are truly wild populations or just naturalised from its widespread cultivation.

Therefore, on the range map, the suggested area of origin is labeled with a question mark.

[Flow]

Thanks a lot for this very nice map, Tobias!

[Brad Mondel]

Thanks! They have a wide range, a lot wider than I thought. It's interesting that the wagnerianus is only in Japan.

[Explorer]

In Bhutan there should be another unknown Trachycarpus to be found. Its not on that map.

And in Kumaon there is besides Trachycarpus takil and the introduced T. fortunei Nainital a third misterious Trachycarpus, T. sp. Kumaon.

See here for more info. www.mypalmshop.com/Trachycarpus

Alexander

[Tobias Valentin]

Thanks! They have a wide range, a lot wider than I thought. It's interesting that the wagnerianus is only in Japan.

It seems to be a cultivated form, with its "basic material" from China (t. fortunei).

Please note, that on the map, southern Japan seems very northern compared to the general range - but this is because of the "bending" latitude, that does not show on the map.

In Bhutan there should be another unknown Trachycarpus to be found. Its not on that map.

And in Kumaon there is besides Trachycarpus takil and the introduced T. fortunei Nainital a third misterious Trachycarpus, T. sp. Kumaon.

See here for more info. www.mypalmshop.com/Trachycarpus

Alexander

Thanks, Alexander.

These are definitely interesting forms - and they should eventually be plotted into that map.

I wish we had more information that could reveal if they are cultivated hybrids, or natural occurring forms. Can you tell more about the Bhutan Trachys? Judging from the isolation of the country, and its complex geography, a Bhutan Trachy could very well be a new species - or "just" T. fortunei or T. martianus - both cases would be interesting new findings.

Trachycarpus is really a puzzle. Every time I think I know something, a new mystery turns up.

Also, in building this map further, it would be very interesting to know more about the location of coldplant's (semi-) wild form of T. fortunei, called "Misan", and other semi-wild Trachycarpus sp.