Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (Bottle Palm)

Native to the Mascarene Islands, bottle palm is a solitary, slow-growing palm with a conspicuously swollen trunk base. Its gray trunk is marked by old leaf scars and narrows toward a smooth green crownshaft. A sparse crown bears four to six feather-like fronds with narrow, stiff leaflets. Branched, cream-colored inflorescences emerge below the crownshaft, followed by oblong fruits that ripen from green through orange to black. This palm is cultivated for its distinctive shape and favors warm conditions with moist, freely draining soil. Photographed in Colombia.