Ceroxylon quindiuense

Ceroxylon quindiuense
	At Armenia, Colombia.
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
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; (H.Karst.) H.Wendl.
Synonyms
	Ceroxylon floccosum Burret ; Klopstockia quindiuensis H.Karst. ;

Ceroxylon quindiuense, often called Quindío wax palm,^[3] is a palm native to the humid montane forests of the Andes in Colombia and Peru.^[4]

Description

This palm species can grow to a height of 45 m (148 ft) —or rarely, even as high as 60 m (200 ft).^[4] It is the tallest recorded monocot in the world.^[5] The trunk is cylindrical, smooth, light colored, covered with wax; leaf scars forming dark rings around the trunk.^[4] 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).^[4] Fruits are globose and orange-red when ripe, 1.6–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) in diameter.^[4]

Taxonomy

Ceroxylon quindiuense was described by Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten and published in Bonplandia (Hannover) 8: 70. (1860).^[2]

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.^[6] quindiuense: geographical epithet alluding to its location in Quindío.

Synonymy:^[2]

Klopstockia quindiuensis H.Karst
Ceroxylon floccosum Burret

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.^[4] The elevational range of this species is between 2,000 and 3,100 m (6,600 and 10,200 ft) above sea level.^[4] It achieves a minimum reproductive age at 80 years.^[3] 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).^[4]

Conservation

Populations of Ceroxylon quindiuense are threatened by habitat disturbance, overharvesting and diseases.^[3] The fruit was used as feed for cattle and pigs. The leaves were extensively used in the Catholic celebrations of Palm Sunday;^[7] such leaves coming from young individuals which were damaged to death.^[3] That activity has been reduced severely in recent years due to law enforcement and widespread campaign.^[4] Felling of Ceroxylon quindiuense palms to obtain wax from the trunk also is an activity still going on in Colombia and Peru.^[4] 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.^[3]^[8]

Cultivation and uses

The wax of the trunk was used to make candles, especially in the 19th century.^[4] 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.^[4]^[3] It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in Colombia and California.^[4]^[3]