Ravenea dransfieldii

Botanical Description

Ravenea dransfieldii is a single-stemmed, evergreen palm tree growing up to 7 metres tall. The unbranched stem can be 11 - 18cm in diameter, it is topped by a crown of 11 - 17 long, erect leaves[ 314 Title Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia. Publication Author Website http://www.pacsoa.org.au/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website. ]. The leaves of this palm are are harvested from the wild and used locally to make high quality hats and also for thatching. The palm heart is also sometimes eaten. The population size from the eight known sites is estimated to number about 200 mature individuals and the population is decreasing. The threats to this species include habitat loss through clearance for shifting agriculture and logging, and harvesting the species for its leaves. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].