Pritchardia bakeri

Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.

Pritchardia
(pritch-AHR-dee-uh)
bakeri (baker'-ee)

Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Pritchardia (pritch-AHR-dee-uh)
Species:	bakeri (baker'-ee)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Please set a value for continent.

Morphology

Habit:	Solitary
Leaf type:	Palmate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

Loulu Palm

Habitat and Distribution

Hawaii.

Description

A solitary, medium sized, water-loving, moderately slow growing palm. Not known in cultivation, endangered in the wild. It has a smooth, grey-brown trunk, 7 m. (23 ft.) tall, 23 cm. (9 inch) diameter with persistent leaf-bases and spaced ring leaf scars, and large partially segmented, palmate (fan) leaves, 0.75 m. (2.5 ft.) long, 0.75 m. (2.5 ft.) wide, green above and, greyish green beneath. Inflorescences 5-8, interfoliar, ascending to nearly spreading and ca. equaling subtending leaf and to 1.3 m long in flower, arching to pendulous and greatly exceeding the subtending leaf and to 2.8 m long in fruit. Fruits green 40 x 35 mm, ovoid-oblong, eventually likely turning dark brown to black. Editing by edric.

Culture

Pritchardia bakeri can tolerate close to freezing conditions. But low temperatures are best avoided. This species naturally occurs on islands in moist low montane forest, and is heavily effected by the surrounding sea temperatures, which are constant and often form sea mist and cloud. In this type of natural environment temperature fluctuations are slight, and this palm prefers a constantly mild climate with little temperature difference between day & night, and Summer & Winter. Under extreme cold conditions we recommend you keep this palm as dry as possible, and well wrapped up. Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a. (Phil Markey), edric.

Comments and Curiosities

A new species segregated out from Pritchardia martii as having exceptionally long infructescences.

External Links

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos, edric.

Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos, edric.

Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).

IMAGE GALLERY
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Kuliouou valley. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Close to Niu Valley, along Koolau Summit Trail. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
"Shot of middle single bakeri on edge of erosion area. Half of the root ball is hanging in the air. Some day will tumble down the cliff, and be lost forever . Note long fruit stalk way beyond leaf." Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
"Shot of distressed bakeri with rat protection wire cage around seed, way past leaf structure." Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
"I placed wire mesh around 5 seed infructecence yesterday, on three palms. Three of them had about 10 green one half to one inch seeds on them. The other two had dozens of pea sized ones." Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
"I placed wire mesh around 5 seed infructecence yesterday, on three palms. Three of them had about 10 green one half to one inch seeds on them. The other two had dozens of pea sized ones." Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. "Basically laying on the sloped ground." Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. "The palms are at the top of the large reddish area." Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Pritchardia bakeri, in habitat Kuliouou valley Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
"It is my passion to get these back to a healthy number again. Total of about thirty Loulu in the bowl of our valley, saw a couple more over the ridge today. Seeds in protective wire cages are starting to mature. Photo by Colin & Keala Peters, edric.
Spring Valley, CA (San Diego County), CA. Photo by Matty Bradford, edric.
Spring Valley, CA (San Diego County), CA. Photo by Matty Bradford, edric.
Spring Valley, CA (San Diego County), CA. Photo by Matty Bradford, edric.
Spring Valley, CA (San Diego County), CA. Photo by Matty Bradford, edric.
Spring Valley, CA (San Diego County), CA. Photo by Matty Bradford, edric.