A specimen of a palm, of the Corypha Umbraculifera species, offers this week a unique spectacle: one of the largest blooms in the plant world. The inflorescences -or columns of flowers- can reach 8 meters and this is how the specimens of this species die. The chicharrero garden built on a landfill has prepared signage and a special path to enjoy this marvel.
The Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife enjoys this week the wonderful death of one of its most precious species, the Corypha Umbraculifera, which bids farewell to its existence with one of the inflorescences – arrangement of the flowers on the branches or the extremity of the stem – most spectacular in the world. According to what the biologist in charge of the Santacrucero park, the Italian Carlo Morici, tells Efe, it is an “extraordinary” variant because its life cycle consists of being born, developing while producing its trunk, flourishing, bearing fruit and dying.
It is a flowering similar to that of wheat, agave or banana trees but in this case it can take up to 80 years to happen and it does so in a striking way by having a column of flowers that sometimes reaches 8 meters. “We are perhaps facing the plant that takes the longest to flower in the world. If you sow the seeds, even as a child, you have no guarantees of seeing it bloom, “explains the expert.
“This plant dies happy. In addition, it leaves millions of seeds,” says biologist Carlo Morici
Morici. Graduated in Biology and specialized in palm trees, he assures that this particular specimen of the Palmetum has developed in 25 years due to its proximity to the sea and the wind conditions, which has led it to take less height than usual. “It surprises us because it is the lowest plant with the largest inflorescence in the world, for us it is lucky because you raise your eyes and you see the structure, it is 3 or 4 meters away, not 20 and that is a spectacle.”
Plants that only flower once at the end of their life are called monocarpic or hapaxanthic and, although their farewell may be sad, “it is their way of life,” Morici pointed out. “She laughs at us when she dies. She is happy. She has done what she had to do and you have to accept it and enjoy it. In addition, she will leave millions of seeds that can be planted again », commented Morici.
It is not a rare species to find: its origin is located in areas such as India or Thailand and it is common to find them there. What is exceptional is that it flourishes in Europe, since this specimen is the first to die on the continent. “We don’t have much merit because we are an area that allows subtropical, almost tropical cultivation. Specifically in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the climate is very stable and also in the Palmetum we are surrounded by sea », he clarified.
Due to these good conditions, it was decided to plant two other Corypha in this green lung of the capital built on a landfill, as well as two other similar species, adding a total of 10 specimens that carry out the same vital process and that may take 10 or 20 more years. in bloom. So that all visitors to the Palmetum can enjoy the experience, the park has made specific signage and a special path available to the public to get close to the plant.
“It has a spectacular part, but it is also a didactic event, it is something that is not enough to see it on Wikipedia”, stressed the designer of the Palmetum, researcher and member of the Insular Ecology Group of the Department of Ecology of the University of La Laguna.
In addition to being one of the favorite plants for botanists, this Corypha has played a relevant role in history since paper was prepared in India from its enormous leaves, up to four meters in diameter, more than six thousand years ago. “It is possibly the first plant resource used for writing,” Morici said, noting that these practices died with the printing press, but the palm-leaf manuscripts were born from the leaves of this species.
a unique garden
The Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located next to the Maritime Park designed by César Manrique, is a 12-hectare botanical garden with the best collection of palm trees in Europe. It is a unique space in the world because this orchard arises from the transformation of a garbage dump. Hundreds of species donated by numerous institutions around the planet grow on these remains of waste. Added to this collection this week is the spectacle of this species of palm that bids farewell dressed in gala.