New giant palm species flowers itself to death
This article is so amazing that I find myself asking if it is real, or a hoax:
Botanists on Thursday announced they had identified a new species of palm that is so enormous it can be spotted from space and whose bizarre life cycle requires the plant to kill itself after it has flowered.
The gigantic, pyramid-shaped plant was discovered accidentally by a French family walking in remote north-western Madagascar, according to the publishers of their study.
The palm's trunk is more than 18m high and its leaves are an extraordinary 5m in diameter, which could make them the largest known to date among flowering plants.
A French couple, Xavier and Nathalie Metz, who run a cashew farm in Madagascar, stumbled upon the palm as they were walking with their family at a limestone outcrop in the hills of Analalava district, Blackwell said. Stunned by the sight, they took pictures of it and posted them on the web.
Very disappointing that there isn't a picture. A Google search for the couple turns up nothing but a bunch of genealogy web sites. Does anybody have access to the famous picture?
Link: New giant palm species flowers itself to death.
January 16, 2008 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
This is truly fascinating! I hope that you can post a link when a picture of this tree becomes available.
Posted by: Amy | Mar 5, 2008 6:09:14 AM
I agree with Amy, fascinating story but would love to see a picture. I have a good imagination but not that good :)
Posted by: Nancy | Mar 7, 2009 4:06:25 PM
The suspense for the picture is incredible! It is so good to know that there are still things to discover!
Posted by: Diana Glander | Mar 8, 2009 12:26:15 PM
It's a fascinating find. When we lived in Florida, we had the experience of watching the end of an agaves 25 year age. A giant, asparagus looking stalk shot up in 3-4 days. It had leaves on it, at first, and they fell off. Then, the agave plant started to die. We were upset because it was one of our biggest and was right under our son's room, which gave protection from anyone breaking in. The stalk was about 50 feet tall and started to die after the agave plant had died completely. It was sad, because it was one that was at the house before we moved in and had cleaned out the bed of all the underbrush and they truly looked fabulous. Our palm trees didn't measure up to this one though!
Posted by: Sandra Mullen | Mar 9, 2009 10:45:41 AM
I lived in FL for 27 years and never saw this king of palm. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures.
Posted by: Shirley Russell | Mar 20, 2009 8:19:32 AM
I loved them, I used to live at the Bottom of Sequoia National Park.
Posted by: Jamey macho | Mar 21, 2009 9:51:45 AM
wow i too would also like to see pics of this
Posted by: carol | Mar 22, 2009 5:16:09 AM
Came to California recently from west Ireland Loved the trees, people and sheer massive scale of the landscape and scenery, especially the trees! Will come back soon. Love to get some sequoia and sugar pine seeds to grow here we have loads of space and recently planted 8000 trees.
Fergus & Lesley, Glendree, Feakle, Co Clare Ireland (no zips!)
Posted by: Fergus Merriman | Mar 28, 2009 4:56:21 AM
I would also like to see a picture of this palm. Sounds unbelievable.
Posted by: Tammy Prime | Apr 4, 2009 5:56:28 PM
Hello, I wish i could see in real your great nature.
Greetings from Lithuania.
Posted by: Cosmo | May 10, 2009 2:48:32 AM
Amazing! Pictures would be great!
Posted by: SherriZ | Jun 20, 2009 4:04:13 PM
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/01/a-bizarre-colos.html#more
Here is an image and larger article on the giant palm.
Posted by: The Seed Collector | Nov 29, 2009 11:58:40 AM
need a picture! just 1 little pic!
Posted by: jan ped | Mar 1, 2010 2:04:44 PM
Nice topic, but I agree with the rest, at least one pic to see what you mean...
Posted by: buy generic viagra | Mar 15, 2010 12:55:25 PM
I would really like to see that tree!
Posted by: valeri | Aug 27, 2010 1:34:30 AM
I would really like to see that tree!
Posted by: valeri | Aug 27, 2010 1:34:30 AM
I agree, a picture would be great
Posted by: sharon maaske | Aug 29, 2010 10:42:44 AM
How unusual
Posted by: krystale powers | Apr 13, 2011 3:04:46 PM
This article is really awesome, but also weird. Do you think it is too big for the earth? Meaning do you think it commits germicide {?)because it would deplete the food source in the area? Strange.
Posted by: Jennifer Bowers | Feb 10, 2012 9:35:11 AM
