Hyophorbe is a genus of five known species of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae, native to the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. All five species can attain heights of over 6 meters, and two of the species develop swollen trunks that have made them popular as ornamentals,[1][2] but all of them are endangered in the wild.
It contains the following species:[1]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 | Hyophorbe amaricaulis Mart. | Mauritius, 1 individual left |
 | Hyophorbe indica Gaertn. (palmiste poison) | Réunion |
 | Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (L.H.Bailey) H.E.Moore (bottle palm) | Île Ronde |
 | Hyophorbe vaughanii L.H.Bailey | Mauritius |
 | Hyophorbe verschaffeltii H.Wendl. (palmiste marron) | Rodrigues Island |
Species gallery
Source:[3]
The last surviving specimen of Hyophorbe amaricaulis. This species has a slender, unswollen trunk.
Hyophorbe indica is another slender-trunk species, but often with yellow veins along its foliage.
Hyophorbe lagenicaulis is known as the "bottle palm" as it trunks swells from near the base, into a bottle shape.
Hyophorbe verschaffeltii is known as the "spindle palm" as its trunk swells in the middle. It has black fruits and yellow-green foliage.
References
- 1 2 3 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Hyophorbe
- ↑ Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1–223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ↑ C.Lewis, Barboza, N. (2000). ldentity of the Hyophorbe Palms at the Botanical Garden of Cienfuegos, Cuba Palms 44. p.95.
