theophrasti Greuter PALMAE Vulnerable

Status near Sitia, severalmore have been addedlately Vulnerable. Although presently known to (Barclay1968, 1974), and no lessthan nine are occur in at least ten localities, and at four of mapped in Turland et al. (1993). The large, them in sizeable stands, the species is at risk scatteredstand on the Datgapeninsula (Boydak because of the attraction it exerts on visitors and 1983, 1985,Boydak & Yaka 1983)brings rhe because of its being linked to coastal habitats total numberof known populationsto ten. easily affected by tourist development (see Pla- The hypothesisthat the Cretandate palm is a takis 1975). Tertiary relict specieswith a much wider former distribution was recently proved correct by the Description finding of fossil specimens( and also one A sizeable palm tree, with one to several of the diagnosticallyimportant stones)on main trunks up to 10 m tall (including the foli- the island of Thira (Santorini)in rhe Kiklades, age) and surrounded by dense clumps of shorter where 37,000 years ago (according to radio- shoots arising as suckers at the base.Each trunk carbondating) this specieswas growing together is crowned by a bunch of 3-5 m long, pinnate with a secondpalm, Chamqeropshumilis, now leaves forming a spherical crown. The larger extinctin Greecein the wild (Friedrich1980). (middle) pinnae may reach a length of 40 cm and are linear, folded lengthwise in the middle, Habitat and ecology and pungent-tipped; toward the base of the Phoenix theophrastiis confined to sheltered, the pinnae are transformed into stout, sharp frost-freehabitats close to the coast,and depends spines that border the whole length of the on constantunlimited water supply (a perennially petioles. The male and female inflorescences, high groundwatertable) and on permeable,non formed on different trees, are enclosed among water-loggedsoil. It thriveson the sandybottom the spiny Leaf bases; they are upright panicles of estuarinefloodplains and in smallvalleys with with bright orange branches.The male panicles permanentor seasonallydry riv.ers.A detailed are narrow and closely sheathedby spathes;the habitat descriptionof the site at Vai is given by female are wider, spreading, densely beset with Mavrommatis(1973). flowers which develop into yellowish-brown then blackish, fibrous, inedible small dates, c. Conservationmeasures taken 1.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, each with a largish, The largest known Greek population at Vai ellipsoidal stone. has been declaredan "aestheticforest preserve" in the late 1970s,and its core areawas effective- Distribution ly protectedby fencing in spring 1983 (Leon Kriti and SW Anatolia (Datga peninsula). It 1983).The preservearea covers 20 ha. was already known from Kriti in classical ti- mes, then again reported in the 16th century, but Conservationmeasures proposed until recently it was thought to be a naturalized Protection and effective fencing should be offspring of cultivated date palms (Greuter consideredas a matterof urgencyfor at leastthe 1,967,1968). To the classical localities at Gazi secondlargest Greek stand of the species,in a near Iraklio (now much degraded) and at Vai gorge below the monastery of Preveli, a site 4t2 which is under heavy threatdue to tourist pres- References sure. The area is said to be monasticproperty, Barclay,C. 1968:Searching for the Phoenixin . but the monk communityhas little, if any,means - Gard.Chron., ser. 3, l6a(15): 15-17. availableto securethe survivalof the population. 1974:A new locality of wild Phoenixin Crete.- The full geneticdiversity of the speciesshould Ann. Musei Goulandris2: 23-29. Boydak,M. 1983:Datga hurmasi (Phoenix theophra- be preservedthrough appropriate measures of in sti Greuter).- Koruma 1983(18):20-21. situ or ex situ conservationof all known popu- Qevre 1985:The distributionof Phoenixtheophrasti tn lations, including the most degradedone near the Datga Peninsula,. - Biol. Conserva- Iraklio, with emphasis on the third sizeable tion 32: 129-135. Greek stand,at Agios Nikitas near Tsoutsouros & Yak&,M. 1983:Datga hurmasi (Phoenix theo- (Barclay1974). phrasti Greuter) ve Datga yarimadasindasapta- nan dogal yayilisi. - Istanbul Univ. Orman Fak. Biology and potential value Derg.,4,33:73-92. Close relatives of Phoenix theophrasti are Dafis, Sp. 1985: The Palm Tree forest of VaI (Sitia- the cultivated , Phoenix dacelifera, Crete). Scientific Annals, Depart. For. Nat. not known with certaintyin the wild, which dif- Envir., Univ. Thessaloniki 28@): 140-152 (in fers by having large, fleshy and edible Greek). Friedrich,W.L. 1980:Fossil plantsfrom Weichselian borne on pendulouspanicles that are not en- interstadials,Santorini ()II. In: Doumas, closedamong the leaf bases,and P. canariensis C. (ed.):Thera and the Aegeanworld: 109-128. from the CanaryIslands, which alsohas inedible London. fruits, anddiffers by its single,taller, non-sucker- Greuter,W. 1967:Beitriige zur Flora der Siidiig[is 8- ing, more robust stems. P. theophrastiis the 9. - Bauhinra3: 243-254. closestsurviving wild relativeof the cultivated 1968: Le dattier de Th6ophraste,sp6cialit6 cr6- date palm, one of the main food and timber re- toise.- Mus. Genbve,ser. 2,81: 14-16. sourcesof the dry areasof the Old World tro- Leon, C. 1983: A conservationistin Crete. pics. It obviously has high breedingpotential, Threat.Pl. Newslett.11: 12-14. e.g. as a sourceof pest resistancegenes. Easy Mavrommatis,G. 1973:Ikologia tis periohisfinikoda- crossabilityof Phoenixspecies should facilitate sous"Vai" SitiasKritis. - Dasos:21-24. any suchbreeding programme. Platakis,E.K. 1975:To Vai tis Sitias:ena fisiko mni- mio tis Kritis pangosmiouendiaferontos. - Ana- As an ornamentaltree Phoenix theophrasti toli (Ag. Nikolaos)7493 (20 Aug 1975):| + 4. showsgreat promise. ft readily germinatesfrom Turland,N.J., Chiltotr,L. & Press,J.R. 1993:Flora of just ,and while not frost-hardyit is ascold- the Cretan Area. Annotated checklist & atlas. tolerant as the widespreadpark and roadside H.M.S.O..London. tree,P. canariensis.It is also of great scientific value as the last descendantof palmsknown to WERNER GREUTER havebeen widesilread in CentralEurope in mid- Tertiarytimes.

413