Pritchardia schattaueri
| Pritchardia schattaueri | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Coryphoideae |
| Tribe: | Corypheae |
| Genus: | Pritchardia |
| Species: | P. schattaueri |
| Binomial name | |
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Pritchardia schattaueri Hodel |
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Pritchardia schattaueri, the lands of papa pritchardia or Schattauer's Loulu, is a species of palm tree in the genus Pritchardia that is endemic to mixed mesic forests on the southwestern part of island of Hawaiʻi, near Kona. It is officially listed as a Critically endangered species.
This species reaches an incredible height of 130 feet (40 m), with a smooth, grayish trunk up to 12 inches (0.30 m) in diameter. The large, spherical crown typically contains up to 30 ascending, spreading to drooping leaves, with the 5 foot (1.5 m) long and 6 foot (1.8 m) wide slightly wavy blades held on petioles 6 feet (1.8 m) or more in length which are abundantly covered along both edges at the base in medium tan fibers. The leaves, glossy green above and below, are divided to 2/5 into many pendulous-tipped segments, with the abaxial surface incompletely covered with scattered fuzz. The inflorescences are composed of 1-4 panicles, shorter than or equalling the petioles in length. The panicles are branched to 2 orders, with glabrous rachillae. The flowers are followed by large, shiny, black, mostly spherical fruits nearly 2 inches (5.1 cm) long and 1.6–1.5 inches (4.1–3.8 cm) wide when mature. It grows at elevations of 2,000–2,600 feet (610–790 m), where it receives 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of rainfall per year.
Known only from twelve individuals, P. schattaueri occurs in moist, partially cleared, disturbed, tall, mixed ōhiʻa forest on gently sloping, rocky terrain from 2,000–2,600 feet (610–790 m) feet elevation in South Kona on the island of Hawai'i, where it receives 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of rainfall per year. Ten of the twelve individuals occur within 1,000 feet of each other among tall ōhiʻa trees in a cattle ranch, while the remaining two plants are a mile or two away, one in a macadamia nut orchard and the other in weedy, forest remnants.
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