Latania, commonly known as latan palm or latania palm, is a genus of flowering plant in the palm tree family, native to the Mascarene Islands in the western Indian Ocean.[1] [2]
The genus contains three species, one from each of the three major islands (including islets) in the chain. All species have been ranked as Endangered by the IUCN.[3]
| Image | Leaves | Common Name | Scientific name | Native Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| blue latan palm, latanier de l'Ile Ronde | Latania loddigesii Mart. | Mauritius | ||
| red latan palm, latanier de la Réunion | Latania lontaroides (Gaertn.) H.E.Moore | Réunion | ||
| yellow latan palm, latanier de Rodrigues | Latania verschaffeltii Lem. | Rodrigues Island | ||
Latan palms are large, single-stemmed fan palms with separate male and female plants (dioecy); when the leaves fall, they leave scars on the trunks. Male flowers are small, in clusters, and emerge from within leathery bracts on the catkin-like inflorescences. Female flowers are larger, solitary and not concealed within bracts. The fruits contain 1-3 pyrenes, which are seeds enclosed within woody endocarps.[4] The endocarps have sculpted surfaces and the three species are readily distinguished from their pyrenes.[5]