Trachycarpus Latisectus
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''Trachycarpus latisectus'' (formerly ''Trachycarpus sikkimensis'' ined.) is an attractive
palm tree The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...
with large leathery leaves with exceptionally wide segments and a thick, bare and ringed trunk. Its fan-shaped leaves resemble those of '' Livistona''. It has a bare trunk and its seeds resemble those of '' T. martianus''. ''Trachycarpus latisectus'' is commonly known as Windamere palm, for the locality where its first botanical description was made, the garden of the famous Windamere Hotel in
Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It was formally photographed and collected for the first time only in 1992 during the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Sikkim Expedition. It is considered a temperate palm, and has been reported to withstand a wide range of climates, from tropical, subtropical to cold and wet conditions. It is native to
Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
in the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
, where it has been reported from a range of elevation between 3500 and 7000 feet. It remains in the wild in just one tiny, heavily altered location which is immediately threatened by
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
. ''Trachycarpus latisectus'' is cultivated outside its native range as an ornamental. Seeds are considered very easy to germinate. They should be soaked for at least 12 hours, then placed in a mixture of moist
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
with
perlite Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the Hydrate, hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. It is an indu ...
or
vermiculite Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral which undergoes significant expansion when heated. Exfoliation occurs when the mineral is heated sufficiently; commercial furnaces can routinely produce this effect. Vermiculite forms by the weathe ...
within a plastic bag, and keep at 18 - 28 °C. Viable seeds will sprout in a time frame between two and ten months, depending on several factors. The tree grows quickly and easily. ''T. latisectus'' requires a rich and loamy but well-drained soil. Young plants are best grown under some shade. As it does not have an invasive root system, it also grows well in containers.International Palm Society (Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom), ''Trachycarpus latisectus'', Windamere palm
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References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7831355 latisectus Flora of East Himalaya Plants described in 1997