Yellow latan palm

Description

Latania verschaffeltii, the yellow latan palm, is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is found only on Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean, part of the Republic of Mauritius, 560 km east of the Island of Mauritius. It is, however, cultivated in other places as an ornamental. in the wild, the species is threatened by habitat loss. The genus contains three species, one from each of the three major islands (including islets) in the chain. All species have been ranked as Endangered by the IUCN. Latan palms are large, single-stemmed fan palms with separate male and female plants (dioecy); when the leaves fall, they leave scars on the trunks. Male flowers are small, in clusters, and emerge from within leathery bracts on the catkin-like inflorescences. Female flowers are larger, solitary and not concealed within bracts. The fruits contain 1-3 pyrenes, which are seeds enclosed within woody endocarps. The endocarps have sculpted surfaces and the three species are readily distinguished from their pyrenes.