Medemia

Medemia argun is a rare palm tree species of flowering plant, in the family Arecaceae (Palmae) native to Africa. It is the only species in the genus Medemia. The palm's dried dates have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

Medemia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Coryphoideae
Tribe: Borasseae
Genus: Medemia
Wuert. ex H.Wendl.
Species:
M. argun
Binomial name
Medemia argun
Synonyms[2]
  • Hyphaene argun Mart.
  • Areca passalacquae Kunth
  • Medemia abiadensis H.Wendl.

Distribution

Medemia argun is found only in oases inside of the Nubian Desert, in Egypt and Sudan.[1][3][4][5][6]

Conservation

The palm is an IUCN Red List critically endangered species, due to habitat loss.[1]

References
  1. D. Johnson (1998). "Medemia argun". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T30401A9543895. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T30401A9543895.en.
  2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. R. Govaerts & J. Dransfield (2005). World Checklist of Palms. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  4. L. Boulos (2005). Flora of Egypt. 4. Cairo: Al Hadara Publishing.
  5. Haitham Ibrahim & William J. Baker (2009). "Medemia argun – past, present and future" (PDF). Palms. 53 (1): 9–21.
  6. D. Dobignard & C. Chatelain (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord. 1. Conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.


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