Discovered: The self-destructing palm tree that flowers once every 100 years

A new species of a self-destructing palm tree which flowers once every 100 years and then dies has been discovered on Madagascar, it was revealed today.
The tree, which grows to 66 feet in height and has 16 feet wide leaves, is only found in an extremely remote region in the north west of the island, four days by road from the capital.
Local villagers have known about it for years although none had seen it in flower until last year.


The name of the tree and its remarkable life cycle will be revealed today in a study in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society published.
Kew botanist Mijoro Rakotoarinivo: "It's spectacular. It does not flower for maybe 100 years and when it's like this it can be mistaken for other types of palm.
"But then a large shoot, a bit like an asparagus, grows out of the top of the tree and starts to spread.
“You get something that looks a bit like a Christmas tree growing out of the top of the palm.”
There are thought to be only be 100 of the trees that are believed to be about 80 million years old.


17th January 2008

Daily Mail