Wettinia fascicularis

Botanical Description

Wettinia fascicularis is a single-stemmed, evergreen palm growing 5 - 18 metres tall. The unbranched stem can be 5 - 18cm in diameter; it has stilt roots up to 1.1 metre long at the base; and is topped by a crown of 4 - 5 long leaves[ 768 Title Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas Publication Author Henderson A.; Galeano G.; Bernal R. Publisher Princeton University Press; Princeton, New Jersey. Year 1995 ISBN 0-691-08537-4 Description An excellent book, giving basic information on all the 550 species of palms native to the Americas that were known in 1995. Comprehensive information on the plants range and habitat, brief description, some uses and almost 250 photos. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for the local use of its stems in construction. A montane rainforest palm that is confined to the Andes, and is particularly abundant along the western slopes of the western Cordillera, where large areas of forest still remain. Subpopulations of smaller trees in the northern part of the range are at some risk. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].