Phoenicophorium borsigianum

Botanical Description

Phoenicophorium borsigianum is a single-stemmed, evergreen palm with an unbranched, spiny main stem up to 16 metres tall and 10cm in diameter that is topped by a crown of arching leaves around 2 metres lomg[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for its leaves, which are used for thaching roofs. The plant is also an excellent pioneer species and is used for restoring degraded and deforested land[ 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. ]. A very attractive feather palm, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental, especially in the humid tropics[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. Phoenicophorium borsigianum is endemic to the Seychelles where it occurs on eight islands. Potential threats include the small range it occupies (the total land area where the species is able to occur is only 235 km2); the clearance of forest at lower elevations; and the harvesting of the plant for its leaves which are used for thatch. However, the plant is known to regenerate very freely and can even establish itself in heavily degraded land and in native forest that has been dominated by alien invasive species. Therefore there is no criterion met or nearly met to evaluate this species as under threat, though future trends need to be monitored. The plant is therefore 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. ].