Beccariophoenix alfredii, also known as the High Plateau Coconut Palm, is a recently discovered species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of Arecaceae

Arecaceae

Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...

 (palms), endemic to Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

. It is in the genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Beccariophoenix

Beccariophoenix

Beccariophoenix is a genus of 3 species of Arecaceae , native to Madagascar. The genus is closely related to the Cocos, or coconut genus, and Beccariophoenix species, notably Beccariophoenix alfredii are very similar in appearance to the coconut palm, although they are somewhat cold hardy, making...

, and is closely related to the genus Cocos

Coconut

The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

. 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.

Description

Beccariophoenix alfredii grows up to 50 ft (15 m) in height with a trunk up to 1 ft (30.5 cm) in diameter. The trunk is unarmed and bare, with closely ringed leaf scars. The crown holds 30–36 pinnate leaves, which reach lengths of 4.5 m (15 ft). Each leaf holds approximately 120 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are very slender and crowded at the base, and are either rigid or somewhat pendulous. Towards the base of the leaf, leaflets are about 47 cm (19 in) long and wide. Mid leaf, leaflets are at their largest, being about 112 cm (44 in) long and 4 cm (2 in) wide. At the tip of the leaf, leaflets become smaller again, being 65 cm (26 in) long and 1.8 cm (0.708661417322835 in) wide. Dead leaves are marcescent in juvenile palms, but abscise

Abscission

Abscission is a term used in several areas of biology. In plant sciences it most commonly refers to the process by which a plant drops one or more of its parts, such as a leaf, fruit, flower or seed...

 neatly in adults.

The inflorescence is infrafoliar and surrounded by a 90 cm (35 in) long, leathery spathe, which curls up on itself after abscission (due to drying out). The inflorescence stalk is 8 centimetre long and elliptic in cross-section. The rachis

Rachis

Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...

 is very short, 8 centimetre long and bearing about 30–50 crowded, spirally arranged rachillae. The fruit is oblate, 1.6 by 2.4 cm (0.62992125984252 by 0.94488188976378 ) and dark purplish-black at maturity.

Systematics and botanical history

Beccariophoenix is placed in the subfamily Arecoideae and the tribe Cocoeae. The species was first noted in 2002, when Alfred Razafindratsira noticed a picture of a Beccariophoenix species in photographs taken of the vegetation surrounding Andrembesoa (originally taken in search of a species of Pachypodium in the rocky escarpments to the southwest of Antsirabe). Alfred found this odd, considering this area of Madagascar is far from the other localities of Beccariophoenix and is, furthermore, ecologically totally different from the east coast and littoral forests where the other Beccariophoenix species are known to occur. In May 2004, an expedition was set off into the High Plateau of Madagascar, to confirm the existence of this species. On the fourth day of the expedition, the new population of Beccariophoenix was found.

This species is noted for having oblate (flattened spheroid) rather than ovoid fruit, infrafoliar inflorescence (rather than interfoliar), a peduncle

Peduncle (botany)

In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...

 not exceeding long (rather than one up to long), a thick leathery peduncular bract

Bract

In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...

 which rolls up on when itself when abscised (rather than a heavily lignified peduncular bract thick, which does not deform when abscised) and 15 stamen

Stamen

The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...

s (rather than 18–21). For these differences, Beccariophoenix alfredii was classified as a new species. Beccariophoenix alfredii is accepted by Kew.

Habitat and distribution

Beccariophoenix alfredii occurs in the High Plateau of Madagascar at approximately 20° S. The palm is found at an elevation of growing along the sandy riverbeds. The surrounding vegetation is mainly composed of various grasses, and the area sees occasional fires. Due to the environment that B. alfredii is subjected to, it is hardy against frost

Frost

Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...

 and cold, fire, drought, and full sun.

Cultivation

Due to its overall hardiness, B. alfredii is a good candidate for cultivation in central and southern Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, south Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, southern Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 and also locations such as Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 Australia, Northern island New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It is best grown in sandy loam soils, but is suitable to many other soil types. It can be expected that after it is less new to cultivation, it may become extremely popular worldwide due to its coconut look-alike status, good growth rate, and cold hardiness.

External links

• Davesgarden A website with descriptions of growing different plants and their cultural requirements.
• Palmpedia A wiki based site dedicated to high quality images and information on palm trees.
• Rarepalmseeds A site dedication to the distribution of palm seeds across the world; how Beccariophoenix alfredii was first distributed to the public.