Prestoea montana


Prestoea montana is a perennial palm in the family Arecaceae. It is considered a synonym of Prestoea acuminata var. montana.

Description

A palm with a thin and tall stipe and a uniform diameter, reaching heights of 45 feet.

Distribution

It is found throughout the Greater Antilles as well as the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean.

Habitat

Generally found in mountains of up to high. It grows in the forest of creeks in the mountains, and on the steep slopes of the highest peaks in Puerto Rico. It is also found in Toro Negro State Forest, in the Puerto Rico Cordillera Central. According to studies in the Luquillo Mountains, this palm also is associated with landslides.

Uses

The fruit of Prestoea montana is the favorite food of the Puerto Rican parrot.

Taxonomy

Prestoea montana was described by G.Nicholson and published in The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening,... 3: 216. 1886.
;Etymology:
Prestoea: generic name in honor of Henry Prestoe, English botanist and traveler, who collected the plant in Trinidad.
montana: from the Latin, meaning "from the mountain".

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