Pritchardia kaalae

Pritchardia kaalae, also known as Waianae Range pritchardia or loulu palm, is a species of palm tree that is endemic to the western part of the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi. It grows near springs in the dry forests on the Waiʻanae Range at elevations up to 2,500 feet (760 m). This slow growing species reaches a height of 25 feet (7.6 m), with a trunk diameter of 1 foot (0.30 m). In 1998 there were fewer than 130 individuals remaining in the wild. This has been a federally listed endangered species of the United States since 1996. Etymology The scientific name Pritchardia kaalae honors William Thomas Pritchard (1829–1907), a 19th-century British consul in Fiji, as well as the botanist Herman Wendland who described it. The Hawaiian name loulu translates to "umbrella," a reference to the plant's umbrella-like appearance, with its large, fan-shaped leaves that were historically used for protection from the sun or rain. Description Hawai'i is home to twenty-four species of loulu palms. These......read more on Wikipedia.