Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii
Encyclopedia
Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii is a species of palm
tree that is endemic to the island of Niihau
, Hawaii
, United States
. It inhabits coastal dry forests
at an elevation of 70–270 m (229.7–885.8 ft). P. aylmer-robinsonii reaches a height of 7–15 m (23–49.2 ft) and a trunk diameter of 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in). Harold St. John
discovered this species in 1949, and the specific epithet refers to Aylmer Francis Robinson
, a member of the family that owned the island. P. aylmer-robinsonii has been reintroduced to the Makauwahi Cave Reserve
on Kauai
, where the species is believed to have previously ranged.
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...
tree that is endemic to the island of Niihau
Niihau
Niihau or Niihau is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, having an area of . Niihau lies southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian Coot, the Black-winged Stilt, and the...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It inhabits coastal dry forests
Hawaiian tropical dry forests
The Hawaiian tropical dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the leeward side of the main islands and the summits of Niihau and Kahoolawe. These forests are either seasonal or sclerophyllous. Annual rainfall is less than and...
at an elevation of 70–270 m (229.7–885.8 ft). P. aylmer-robinsonii reaches a height of 7–15 m (23–49.2 ft) and a trunk diameter of 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in). Harold St. John
Harold St. John
Harold St. John was a professor of botany at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa from 1929 to 1958. A prolific specialist in field botany and systematics, he is credited with discovering about 500 new species of Pandanus, along with many other species, especially in the Pacific Islands.Born in...
discovered this species in 1949, and the specific epithet refers to Aylmer Francis Robinson
Aylmer Francis Robinson
Aylmer Francis Robinson was an owner of a large ranch that encompassed an island in the Hawaiian Islands.-Life:Aylmer Francis Robinson was born May 6, 1888 at the Robinson family estate in Makaweli on the island of Kauai during the Kingdom of Hawaii. His father was Aubrey Robinson and mother was...
, a member of the family that owned the island. P. aylmer-robinsonii has been reintroduced to the Makauwahi Cave Reserve
Makauwahi Cave
The Makauwahi Cave is the largest limestone cave found in Hawaii. It lies on the south coast of the island of Kauai, in the Māhāulepū Valley close to Māhāulepū Beach, and is important for its paleoecological and archaeological values...
on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, where the species is believed to have previously ranged.