Collecting seeds of Coccothrinax borhidiana has always been a challenge for the team of Planta! After several months of lockdown due to Covid-19, Duniel, Ilsa, Mayté, and Héctor travel to Punta Guanos, hoping for the best.
Date: 27/10/2020
Project: Conservation of threatened species of arid Cuban sites
These are tough times, but not particularly for Nature. More than once, the world has seen landscapes that were covered in smoke and contamination shine again. It is also the case of Punta Guanos, known by some as Risco Alto due to the cliff that borders a beautiful blue sea. The guano palm (Coccothrinax borhididana) grows here.
After four months of lockdown due to Covid-19, and knowing that the province of Matanzas was at its last recovery stage, we decided to go to Punta Guanos to collect seeds of this valuable palm, from which we have included some news before.
I have conducted over ten expeditions to the area, but this one seemed like the first time. It usually happens when I revisit places dear to me, like the Pan de Matanzas. I had never see Punta Guanos in July, and I know from experience that every site looks different according to the season. During the rainy season, the vegetation turns deep green, and you might discover species you have never seen before.
The guano palm mostly covers the landscape of Punta Guanos. However, some native cacti are also growing here, like the tree-like aguacate cimarrón, who just a few days ago was renamed as Leptocereus nudiflorus. The area has been divided into plots for oil extraction. There is also a small urban community growing, yet it is not hard to imagine how beautiful this site must have been before any human intervention.
Over the past three years, we have counted guano palms in the area and assessed their threats. We have been trying to collect seeds to produce plants, given that the site is so damaged that the germination process is very slow, and there is no warranty that the young plants will become adults. Despite our efforts, we have not been able to collect seeds since 2018.
We have found flowers on several occasions, but in the following months, no fruits or very few of them have been seen. Therefore, we have been studying this palm’s phenology: when it blooms, fructifies, and has mature seeds. Now we know the best time to collect the seeds to take them to the nurseries.
As soon as we took the road towards Punta Guanos, we noticed an intense floral scent. A small tree known as “Guairaje” (Eugenia axillaris), from the same family as the guava, was blooming. That forest smell is one of my best memories from each expedition. As we got closer, we started to see guano palms, and dozens of them had fructified; not just one cluster of fruits per plant, but up to four. I had never seen anything like it.
Along with Mayte, Hector, and Ilsa, we collected hundreds of seeds from 50 individuals. The color of the fruits and their abundance reminded me of when I used to harvest coffee with my grandpa. Every new experience can relate to a good memory. We left some fruits in each plant and were surprised not to see more birds eating from them. Was there more food available somewhere? Perhaps.
During the trip, we also checked the “jibá de costa” (Erythroxylum spinescens). This Critically endangered shrub is studied by Ilsa. We discovered one “aguacate cimarron” with four young plants growing close to it, which was rare considering the low regeneration of the species.
We visited the coastal vegetation patches remaining in the Kilometer 43 of the Central Highway on our way back. It is where we planted jíjiras (Leptocereus wrightii) a year ago. Working our way through the vegetation, we were able to find many of the planted individuals. The last surprise was to see the fruits of “icaquillo” (Bunchosia emarginata), a very rare shrub that has not been assessed yet. An iguana over 20 inches long kept watching us closely, probably wondering about our excitement after a day filled with surprises.
by Alejandro Palmarola
A Project from the Madagascar Plant Specialist Group was funded by Planta! as part of the SSC – Internal Grant since January 2020. The Project aims to create an action plan to preserve Critically Endangered regional plants.
by Alina Cuza
Published in 2013 in Bissea, “The top 50 most threatened plants of Cuba” has inspired conservation actions across Cuba. It has been a call for conservationists, local communities, and stakeholders, gathered by the common interest of protecting the unique flora of Cuba.
by Maritza Deroncelé
Maritza Deroncelé is a psychologist turned into a conservationist. Currently the Natural Reserve “El Retiro” manager, she tells us how her work preserving the Aguacate cimarron, changed her life.
