A new palm tree that flowers itself to death has been discovered in a remote area of north-western Madagascar .
The giant plant, which can tower to more than 18 metres high and includes fan-shaped leaves 5 metres in diameter, is the largest palm ever found in Madagascar and one of the world’s biggest flowering plants .
Incredibly the palm, named Tahina Spectabilis, is so huge it can even be seen using Google Earth.
Discovered by a farmer and his family walking in a remote north western region of the island, the plant has been identified as a new genus by botanists working in the area.
Pictures of the mysterious palm were sent to experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, who immediately recognised it as a completely new type of palm.
"Clearly this was going to be an extremely exciting discovery and I just couldn't wait to examine specimens in detail," said Dr John Drainsfield, one of the researchers at Kew.
Genetic tests on the plant, carried out at Kew, confirmed that it comes from an evolutionary line more commonly found across the Arabian Peninsula, Thailand, and China, and not previously known to exist in Madagascar .
The newly discovered plant is limited to a relatively small area at the foot of a limestone outcrop and researchers estimate that only about 100 individuals exist on the island .
The plant’s explosive end-of-life reproduction makes it all the more unusual. Once it is fully grown, the tip of the stem branches into hundreds of tiny flowers that sap nutrients from the plant at an incredible speed, causing it to collapse and die.
Each flower can be pollinated and developed into a nectar-dripping fruit, drawing swarms of birds and insects .
William Baker, head of palm research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, commented: "It's a species that is so significant from all sorts of perspectives; it's kind of embarrassing as a botanist that we didn’t find it until now."
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Giant Palm Tree Discovered That Flowers Itself To Death
Wed, 23 Jan 2008
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