| Latania | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Red latan palm | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Tribe: | Borasseae |
| Genus: | Latania Comm. exJuss. |
| Type species | |
| Latania lontaroides | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Latania, commonly known aslatan palm orlatania palm, is agenus offlowering plant in thepalm treefamily, native to theMascarene Islands in the westernIndian Ocean.[1][2]
The genus contains three species, one from each of the three major islands (including islets) in the chain. All species have been ranked asEndangered by theIUCN.[3]
| Image | Leaves | Common Name | Scientific name | Native Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | blue latan palm, latanier de l'Ile Ronde | Latania loddigesiiMart. | Mauritius |
 |  | red latan palm, latanier de la Réunion | Latania lontaroides(Gaertn.) H.E.Moore | Réunion |
 |  | yellow latan palm, latanier de Rodrigues | Latania verschaffeltiiLem. | Rodrigues Island |
Latan palms are large, single-stemmed fan palms with separate male and female plants (dioecy); when the leaves fall, they leave scars on the trunks. Male flowers are small, in clusters, and emerge from within leathery bracts on thecatkin-likeinflorescences. Female flowers are larger, solitary and not concealed within bracts. The fruits contain 1-3 pyrenes, which are seeds enclosed within woodyendocarps.[4] The endocarps have sculpted surfaces and the three species are readily distinguished from their pyrenes.[5]
