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Kamikaze Palm Baffles Botanists

Madagascar giant flowers spectacularly, then dies

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 17, 2008 3:30 AM CST

(Newser) – Scientists have found a gigantic—and suicidal—new species of palm tree in a remote area of Madagascar, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The tree, so big it can be seen in satellite photos, grows normally for a century or so until it spectacularly erupts with countless tiny flowers that morph into fruit. Then it dies, apparently exhausted.

The giant tree came to the attention of scientists after a picnicking French family stumbled upon a flowering one. Local villagers had known the palm existed, but nobody had ever seen it flower. Excited scientists are working to understand why the monster palm's life cycle develops as it does, and, with less than 100 of the giants left, find ways to conserve it.

This undated photo released by the Royal Botanic Gardens, shows a newly discovered species of palm tree on the Indian Ocean Island of Madagascar. A self-destructing palm tree that flowers once every 100 years and then dies has been discovered on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, botanists said Thursday...
This undated photo released by the Royal Botanic Gardens, shows a newly discovered species of palm tree on the Indian Ocean Island of Madagascar. A self-destructing palm tree that flowers once every 100...   (Associated Press)
A self-destructing palm tree that flowers once every 100 years and then dies has been discovered on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, botanists said Thursday Jan. 17, 2008. The name of the giant palm and its remarkable life cycle will be detailed in a study by Kew Gardens scientists...
A self-destructing palm tree that flowers once every 100 years and then dies has been discovered on the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, botanists said Thursday Jan. 17, 2008. The name of the giant...   (Associated Press)
The giant palm, so big it can be seen in satellite photos, was discovered by a French family picnicking in a remote area of Madagascar. The island nation has thousands of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world.
The giant palm, so big it can be seen in satellite photos, was discovered by a French family picnicking in a remote area of Madagascar. The island nation has thousands of plant and animal species found...   (Getty Images)
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