Tribe Roystoneae | Subfamily Arecoideae Genus Roystonea Rank Species | |
Similar Roystonea dunlapiana, Roystonea borinquena, Paschalococos, Calyptronoma, Acrocomia crispa | ||
Roystonea stellata is a species of palm endemic to Yagruma terrace in the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba. The species is known from only a single collection made by French-born botanist Frère León in 1939, and may be extinct.
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Description
Roystonea stellata is a large palm which reached heights of 15 metres (49 ft). The 95 cm (3.12 ft) inflorescences bears white male and female flowers. Fruit are 9.8–10.5 millimetres (0.39–0.41 in) long and 7.8–8.5 mm (0.31–0.33 in) wide, and black when ripe. The single known collection is not complete enough for a complete description.
Status
It is unknown whether the species still exists, as no specimens were found in a 1990 survey of the only known habitat. While this has not yet been confirmed, R. stellata is possibly extinct.