''Cryosophila williamsii'', also known as Lago Yojoa palm or root-spine palm is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Arecaceae The Arecaceae () is a family (biology), family of perennial plant, perennial, flowering plants in the Monocotyledon, monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbing palm, climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly k ...

. It is found only in

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

. Cryosophila williamsii is named in honor of prominent botanist

Louis Otho Williams Louis Otho (Otto) Williams (1908 – 1991) was a botanist from Wyoming. He received his BA and MA from the University of Wyoming then a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. He went on to be editor of the '' American Orchid Society Bulletin ...

.Umberto Quattrocch
CRC World Dictionary of Palms: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology

CRC Press The CRC Press, LLC is an American publishing group that specializes in producing technical books. Many of their books relate to engineering, science and mathematics. Their scope also includes books on business, forensics and information technol ...

, Aug 3, 2017 2753 pages , The IUCN classified this plant as

Critically Endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

, and it is assumed there are 200-270 mature individuals in the wild. Threats to this species include climate change and selective harvesting for ornamental purposes. The species' habitat has been largely converted to agriculture. Cryosophila Albida

References

williamsii Endemic flora of Honduras Trees of Honduras Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Arecaceae-stub