''Pritchardia mitiaroana'', the Mitiaro fan palm or ''Iniao'' is a species of
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 called palm trees ...
that is native to the island of
Mitiaro in the
Cook Islands
)
, image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, capital = Avarua
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Avarua
, official_languages =
, lan ...
. It grows on karst limestone on the island's ''makatea'' (fossilised uplifted reef), and grows to a height of 10m.
While previously believed to only be found on Mitiaro, in 2007 several clusters of fan palms on the islands of
Niau
Niau is a small atoll in French Polynesia, in the commune of Fakarava (Tuamotu archipelago). This atoll has a broad fringing reef, a diameter of 8 km and an area of 53 km2.
Niau's lagoon is swampy, hypersaline and entirely enclosed. Th ...
and
Makatea in the
Tuamotus in
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
were classified as belonging to the same species.
Rarotongan oral histories record that there was once a strong sea route between Nuia, the southern Cook Islands and the
Marquesas, which could have seen the plant transported between the islands.
[ In 2007 there were an estimated 1000 individuals on Nuia, and around 100 on Makatea. In 2019 there were 491 mature ''Iniao'' on Mitiaro.
]
References
External links
*
mitiaroana
Endemic flora of the Cook Islands
Mitiaro
{{tree-stub