Pritchardia beccariana

Descrição:

Loulu or Klauea pritchardiaArecaceae (Palm family)Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Hawaii Island only)Conservation Status: Species of Concern (USFWS)Oahu (Cultivated)The fruits called hwane or whane were peeled and eaten by early Hawaiians. They collected young fruits. The flavor of young fruit with the soft interior is similar to coconut. The trunks loulu were notched for climbing to gather the immature fruits and fronds. Older specimens still bear notches that can be seen today.The fronds, or leaves, called lau hwane were used by the early Hawaiians for thatching and more recently as plaiting such as papale (hats) and fans.Flowerswww.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4761432521/in/photostream/Leaveswww.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4762066774/in/photostream/Habitwww.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4761434315/in/photostreamEtymologyThe generic name is named for William Thomas Pritchard (1829-1907), 19th century British counsul in Fiji, adventurer, and author of Polynesian Reminiscences in 1866.The specific epithet beccariana is named for the Italian botanist Odoardo Becarri (1843-1920), perhaps best known for "discovering" the Titan arum, the plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, in Sumatra in 1878.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Pritchardia_beccariana