New and endangered palm species described from Bonaire
Crown of mature individual
/ Foto:
Quirijn Coolen
A new endemic palm species from Bonaire, Sabal lougheediana, was recently described in Phytotaxa by M. Patrick Griffith, Quirijn Coolen, Michelle Barros and Larry Noblick. The Bonaire palm was already documented in 1979, but it wasn't until 2019 that scientists found out it is a distinct species, closely related to Sabal antillensis from the neighbouring island Curaçao. There are only 25 mature individuals of S. lougheediana left on Bonaire, so conservation efforts are recommended to secure the future of this newly described endemic.
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Griffith, M.P., Coolen, Q., Barros, M. & Noblick, L.R. 2019. Sabal lougheediana (Arecaceae), a critically endangered, endemic palm species from Bonaire. Phytotaxa 420(2): 95-101.