Tahina spectabilis

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Tahina (tah-HEE-nah)
spectabilis (spec-tah-BILL-iss)
ColinDSC01085 (Large).jpg
Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, photo by Colin.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Tahina (tah-HEE-nah)
Species:
spectabilis (spec-tah-BILL-iss)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Africa.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Tahina Palm, Blessed Palm, Tahina in the Malagasy language means blessed.

Habitat and Distribution

Tahina spectabilis is Endemic to Madagascar. Found only in the
Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.
Analalava district of northwestern Madagascar.

Description

This palm is a very rare, protected species from Madagascar. Its less than 100 known members are classified by geneticists as belonging to the palm tribe Chuniophoeniceae. Very little is known about this palm's life cycle, but specimens are the largest palm native to Madagascar, with heights of up to twenty meters and leaves up to three meters across.

A gigantic new species and genus of palm, This plant flowers itself to death, producing a huge, spectacular terminal inflorescence with countless flowers. After fruiting, the palm dies and collapses. The new genus is unrelated to any other of the 170 plus palms of Madagascar and is most closely related to 3 genera: one each in Afghanistan and neighboring parts of Asia; south Thailand; and Vietnam and southern China. Editing by edric.

Culture

PFC for PP.png

Comments and Curiosities

"Tahina – Malagasy for ‘blessed’ or ‘to be protected;’ also one of the given names of Anne-Tahina Metz, the daughter of the discoverer of the palm" and spectabilis from Latin, meaning notable or showy.

read more

Undoubtedly the most exciting discovery in the world of palms in the new millennium, this magnificent, massive fan palm was found by accident by cashew-grower Xavier Metz and his family in a single, small area in the northeast of Madagascar, where it grows in low, seasonally dry forest or scrubland that may be flooded during the rainy season, at the foot of heavily eroded limestone hills. It represents not only just a new species but an entirely new genus in the palm family. Some amazing background to its discovery can be read up in several threads on the internet forum of the International Palm Society at http://palmtalk.org/ Tahina grows a massive, solitary trunk, which holds a giant crown of enormous, slightly costapalmate and completely circular fan leaves with numerous stiff segments. The petioles are whitish towards the base. It has already made the rounds through the mainstream press as the 'exploding' or 'self-destructing' palm, a somewhat sensationalist allusion to the fact that it flowers only once in its life, with a totally spectacular, giant, whitish inflorescence that forms from the center of the crown. After the fruits have matured and have been harvested by lemurs, who thereby distribute the seeds, the palm is spent, the massive structure slowly collapses and the palm dies. This flowering habit is not unique in Tahina, in fact many palms exhibit what botanists refer to as a hapaxanthic mode of growth, a few examples being Corypha, Metroxylon and many climbing palms. Really noteworthy, however, are its closest relatives in the palm family and their distribution. It is most closely allied to Kerriodoxa from Thailand and Chuniophoenix from China, easily seen in the seeds alone, and one can speculate that Tahina is a relic on Madagascar, sharing a common ancestor with the above from the time when the Indian subcontinent was only just beginning its northward voyage and separating off from Madagascar, some 70 to 50 million years ago. In cultivation it would be a breathtaking ornamental for the large garden or park, and would most likely do best in the dry tropics. It could doubtlessly be induced to grow in many other tropical and frost free subtropical areas. It seems that growth is rather fast, but it is entirely unclear how long a plant will take to flower. Much like Kerriodoxa, the seed produces a moderately long sinker to anchor the base of the plant well in the soil. Deep pots would be recommended. With a total known population in its native habitat of just 92 individuals and perhaps 100 small seedlings, the palm is very rare and efforts with the aim to protect its natural habitat have been initiated and are now managed by Xavier Metz and John Dransfield. The distribution of seeds appears to be the best way to establish some cultivated populations for ex-situ conservation and at the same time generate funds for the nearby villagers who „own and manage" the habitat of the palm under a relatively new law in Madagascar. The villagers are now very aware of the uniqueness of the palm and understand that flowering is probably a rather rare event. Any profits resulting from the sale of the seeds distributed under this conservation program will go to their community. The funds are destined towards village development, such as a pump for the village well, and aim at keeping cattle and fire away from the palms. The approach is that when the villagers can see that there is some financial return from the palm, they will likely want to preserve it and its habitat. Rare Palm Seeds.com

The photo at the bottom, is of roughly two year old plants brought in from Hawaii in the summer of 2008. Ten plants were purchased. Of the ten nine are still alive and well. Four of the plants have been exposed to temps at or around freezing. This was unintentional but good for the sake of observation. They were affected by the exposure. I will post photos of those plants when next I am at their location. The plants in the photo from Vero were never exposed to temps less than 40F.. They have been grown in deep shade. If the person that posted the progression series of photos on this page could give a location and any relevant temperature info that might help establish some insight as to the tolerance of this relatively unknown palm.

This is a tillering palm, it exhibits saxophone style root growth (it has a heel), keep top third of heel above soil elevation!



  • IMAGE GALLERY

  • Tahina Spectabilis seedling 116 days from germination.

  • The_same_seedling_171_days_from_germination.

  • 4th leaf opens up 214 days after germination.

  • Tahina Spectabilis seedling 419 day from germination.

  • Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, photo by Colin.

  • Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, photo by Colin.

  • Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, photo by Colin.

  • Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, photo by Colin.

  • Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, photo by Colin.

  • Noog Nooch Gaedens, Thailand, Bill Sanford (BS Man) for scale, photo by Daryl O'Connor.

  • Manila, Philippines, photo by Gene Brace.

  • Finca Cañaote, Tinaco, Cojedes, Venezuela, photo by David Clulow.

  • Finca Cañaote, Tinaco, Cojedes, Venezuela, photo by David Clulow.

  • Marco Herrero Farm (Costa Rica). Photo by Jason.

  • Madagascar.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield.

  • Tahina spectabilis full.jpg
  • Graines de Tahina 5393.jpg

  • Leaf-sheath Splitting Longitudinally Below the Petiole, Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • RBG Kew, UK. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Xavier Metz.

  • Madagascar. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

  • Sofia, Mahajanga, MG, AF, Madagascar. Photo by Dr. Mijoro Rakotoarinivo.

  • Hawaii. Bill Austin's place. Tim Brian giving scale. Photo by Paul Latzias.

  • In habitat. Photo-Rare Palm Seeds.

  • "I germinated and gave to the garden. It is growing faster every year!" Carambeí-second tableland of the state of Paraná-south Brazil. Photo by Alberto Leonardo Barkema.

  • "Praça Central" of Guaratuba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo by Alberto Leonardo Barkema.

  • Searle Brothers Nursery, Florida. Jeff posed with the magnificent and rapidly-growing Tahina spectabilis. Photo by Ryan D. Gallivan.

  • Madagascar.

  • 4th leaf opens up 214 days after germination.

  • Tahina grown in Vero Beach, Fl.

External Links

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

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

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

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).


Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

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