Palm Sunday

With  Charlette Bree:

Mongabay, Rare palm tree rediscovered in Madagascar after nearly 100 years

Researchers have tracked down 28 individuals of a palm tree species last recorded in Madagascar nearly 100 years ago.

Nearly every tree of the species, Ravenea latisecta, was found within four protected areas in the Andasibe-Mantadia region of Madagascar, according to a recent study.“Andasibe–Mantadia is one of Madagascar’s best-explored botanical regions, and Ravenea latisecta is not an inconspicuous plant, it is a palm several metres tall,” Louis Aureglia, study lead author with Aix-Marseille University in France, told Mongabay by email. “Yet confirmed populations remained undocumented for almost a century. This is a good reminder that botanical exploration is far from complete.”