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Ceroxylon quindiuense, often called Quindío wax palm, is a palm native to the humid montane forests of the Andes in Colombia and northern Peru.[3]

Ceroxylon quindiuense
Ceroxylon quindiuense, at Armenia, Colombia.
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Ceroxylon
Species:	C. quindiuense
Binomial name
Ceroxylon quindiuense (Karst.) H.Wendl.
Synonyms[2]
Ceroxylon floccosum Burret Klopstockia quindiuensis H. Karst.

Description

This palm species can grow to a height of 45 m (148 ft) —or rarely, even as high as 60 m (200 ft).[3] It is the tallest recorded monocot in the world.[4] The trunk is cylindrical, smooth, light colored, covered with wax; leaf scars forming dark rings around the trunk.[3] The leaves are dark green and grayish, 185–540 cm (6.1–17.7 ft) long, with a petiole up to 80 cm (31 in).[3] Fruits are globose and orange-red when ripe, 1.6–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) in diameter.[3]

Taxonomy

Ceroxylon quindiuense was described by Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten and published in Bonplandia (Hannover) 8: 70. (1860).

Etymology:

Ceroxylon: generic name composed of the Greek words: kèròs = "wax" and xγlon = "wood", in reference to the thick white wax found on the trunks.[5]

quindiuense: geographical epithet alluding to its location in Quindío.

Synonymy:

• Klopstockia quindiuensis H.Karst., 18596[6]
• Ceroxylon floccosum Burret, 192978[6]

Ecology

It grows in large and dense populations along the central and eastern Andes of Colombia (rarely in the western Colombian Andes), with a disjunct distribution in the Andes of northern Peru.[3] The elevational range of this species is between 2,000 and 3,100 m (6,600 and 10,200 ft) above sea level.[3] It achieves a minimum reproductive age at 80 years.[7] Wax palms provide habitats for many unique life forms, including endangered species such as the yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis).

Vernacular names

Palma de cera, palma de ramo (both names in Colombia).[3]

Conservation

Populations of Ceroxylon quindiuense are threatened by habitat disturbance, overharvesting and diseases.[7] The fruit was used as feed for cattle and pigs. The leaves were extensively used in the Catholic celebrations of Palm Sunday;[8] such leaves coming from young individuals which were damaged to death.[7] That activity has been reduced severely in recent years due to law enforcement and widespread campaign.[3] Felling of Ceroxylon quindiuense palms to obtain wax from the trunk also is an activity still going on in Colombia and Peru.[3] The palm is recognized as the national tree of Colombia, and since the implementation of Law 61 of 1985, it is legally a protected species in that country.[7][9]

Cultivation and uses

The wax of the trunk was used to make candles, especially in the 19th century.[3] The outer part of the stem of the palm has been used locally for building houses, and was used to build water supply systems for impoverished farmers.[3][7] It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in Colombia and California.[3][7]

Gallery

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References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ceroxylon quindiuense.

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