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Latania lontaroides

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Latania lontaroides

Family Name: Arecaceae (Palmae)
Synonyms: Cleophora iontaroides, Latania borbonica, Latania commersonii
Common Name: Red Latan Palm

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Growth Form Palm (Solitary Palm)

Biogeography

Native Distribution Mascarene Islands
Native Habitat Terrestrial

Description and Ethnobotany

Trunk Swollen base. Smooth and woody. Lightly ringed by the scars from the fallen fronds. 
Foliage Looks similar to Bismarckia palm. Costapalmate (Shaped like the palm of a hand and having a short midrid of costa). The petioles and leaves have a very distinctive red coloration when young. As they grow bigger, their leaves lose their color and turn green, but the leaf-stems and the margins always stay red. The leaf surface is whitish and waxy. 
Flowers Inflorescence coming from among the leaves. Small and yellow in color. 
Fruit The fruits are oval shaped. Brownish green and fleshy. Single seeded. The seeds are plum shaped, round at the end, pointed at the other. 

Landscaping Features

Landscape Uses Roadside Tree / Palm, Parks & Gardens, Container Planting

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference Full Sun
Water Preference Moderate Water
Rootzone Tolerance Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils

Foliar

Mature Foliage Colour(s) Green
Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) Red
Foliar Shape(s) Palm Fronds (Fan / Costapalmate)
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio 2.5 (Palm - Solitary)

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Palm) Solitary Habit, Aboveground
Mature Bark Texture Smooth, Hooped / Ringed
Stem Type & Modification Woody

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality Unisexual Flowers , Dioecious
Flower Colour(s) Yellow / Golden
Flower Grouping Cluster / Inflorescence

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID 1344
Species ID 5100
Flora Disclaimer The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.
Species record last updated on: 19 August 2021.
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