Pinanga andamanensis Becc.
| Family: | ARECACEAE |
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| Sub-Family: | Not available | ||||
| English Name: | Not available | ||||
| Synonym: | Not available | ||||
| Common Name: | Not available | ||||
| Flowering & Fruiting Period: | Not available | ||||
| Distribution: | Native of Andaman Islands | ||||
| Habitat: | Tropical region of Andaman Islands | ||||
| Uses: | Palm has a great ornamental potential | ||||
| Key Characteristics: | Pinanga anadamanensis is a critically endangered endemic species of Andaman Islands. This taxon was described by Odoardo Beccari, an Italian Botanist in 1934 based upon an old herbarium specimen by E.H. Man, who was the British Assistant Superintendent of the Andaman Administration, during latter part of the 19th century. Interestingly, it is found that after the type collection, this taxon had not been reported until 1992. While working on flora of Andaman’s under the ‘Flora India Project’ of the Botanical Survey of India, Mathew and Malick in 1992 have come across this species from Mount Harriet. The generic etymology of the taxon Pinanga is from the Malayan language, which means the Areca nut. The Malyan name Pinangia was derived from the Malaysian Island ‘Penang’, which in turn was derived from ‘Palu Pinang’. The terminology ‘Palu Pinang’ denotes ’The island of Areca nut Palms’. Interestingly, Rumphius made a distinction between the Indian Areca Palms and the Malayan Areca palms found to occur in Penang, and for the latter he gave the name ‘Pinangia’. | ||||