LATEST JOURNAL: Vol. 69(2) Jun. 2025 |
FRONT COVER Adonidia zibabaoa, a newly described species from the Philippines. See article by J.T. Adorador et al., p. 5. Photo by J.T. Adorador.
BACK COVER Nypa fruticans has an inflorescence structure unlike any other in the palm family. See article by L.L. Arneaud, p. 21. Photo by L.L.Arneaud. |
An Informal Check on the Health of the Endangered Palms of Fiji
M. LOCK, M. LOCK & D. WATLING The island nation of Fiji is home to at least 23 endemic palm species, 13 of which are categorized as Vulnerable (n=3), Endangered (N=5) or Critically Endangered (N=5) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Watling 2005, IUCN 2024). The distributions of all of Fiji’s palm species were last assessed systematically by Watling (2005) and Fuller (1997), and in 2008 Hodel (2011) managed to track down and visit all but one of the palm species native to Fiji. In September and October of 2024, two of us (the Locks) set out to see which palm species could still be found in habitat on two of the three largest islands in Fiji and to assess how their populations had fared over the 16 years since Hodel’s visit. We also compared what we saw on the ground with the latest conservation assessments for Fijian palms in the IUCN Red List. Cocos nucifera var. palmyrensis, a Unique Native Coconut from Palmyra Atoll M.P. GRIFFITH, F. STAUFFER, K. MCLAUGHLIN, J. GERRISH & R. BALDINI Here we document Cocos nucifera var. palmyrensis, which we systematically evaluated via a dedicated field project. We also discuss the history of the Palmyra coconut and provide a more complete description to complement its protologue. Separating the two varieties C. nucifera var. palmyrensis and C. nucifera var. nucifera best reflects the differences between the isolated taxon known from Palmyra Atoll and the widespread, widely-domesticated coconut. We present the evidence for this palm’s native status on Palmyra Atoll and offer recommendations for its continued conservation. |
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