Hydriastele biakensis

Botanical Description

Hydriastele biakensis is a single stemmed, robust, evergreen palm with an unbranched stem up to around 15 metres tall and 30cm in diameter; this is topped by a crown of 18 - 24 leaves, each of which is around 3.3 - 3.6 metres long including the petiole[ 1974 Title A monograph of Hydriastele (Areceae, Arecaceae) in New Guinea and Australia Publication Phytotaxa 370 (1): 001-092, 2018 Author Petoe P., Heatubun C.D. & Baker W.J. Website https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.370.1.1 Publisher Year 2018 ISBN 1179-3155 Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials. Hydriastele biakensis has a small range, being restricted to the Biak Islands of New Guinea. Four sub-populations are known, with an estimated total population size of up to 260 individuals, and with the sub-populations on Biak both not exceeding 100 individuals. Further, its habitat is known to be severely degraded on the south coast of Biak where it is persisting as a few scattered individuals, and there is an ongoing threat from deforestation. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[ 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. ].