Beaucarnea recurvata

{{Short description|Species of tree}} {{Speciesbox |image = Beaucarnea recurvata, Ocampo, Tamaulipas, Mexico 1.jpg |image_caption = ''Beaucarnea recurvata'' in Ocampo, Tamaulipas, Mexico |status = CR |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Martínez Salas, E. |author2=Samain, M.-S. |author3=Fuentes, A.C.D. |date=2020 |title=''Beaucarnea recurvata'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T136808293A137376209 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T136808293A137376209.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | status2 = CITES_A2 | status2_system = CITES | status2_ref = <ref name="CITES">{{Cite web |title=Appendices {{!}} CITES |url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php |access-date=2022-01-14 |website=cites.org}}</ref> |taxon = Beaucarnea recurvata |authority = (K.Koch & Fintelm.) Lem. |synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | *''Beaucarnea inermis'' (S.Watson) Rose *''Beaucarnea tuberculata'' Roezl *''Dasylirion inerme'' S.Watson *''Dasylirion inermis'' S.Watson *''Dasylirion recurvatum'' (Lem.) J.F.Macbr. *''Nolina recurvata'' (Lem.) Hemsl. *''Pincenectitia tuberculata'' Lem. }} |synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-300353 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> }}

'''''Beaucarnea recurvata''''', the '''elephant's foot'''<ref name=RHS/> or '''ponytail palm''',<ref name=EOL>{{EOL}}</ref> is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae.<ref name=POWO>{{cite web |url= https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:531735-1 |title= Beaucarnea recurvata (K.Koch & Fintelm.) Lem. |author= |date=n.d. |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=April 28, 2025}}</ref><ref name=COL>{{cite web |url= https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/L5J8 |title= Beaucarnea recurvata (K.Koch & Fintelm.) Lem. |author= |date=n.d. |website=Catalogue of Life |publisher=Species 2000 |access-date=April 28, 2025}}</ref> The species is endemic to eastern Mexico; according to IUCN it is now confined to the state of Veracruz,<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> but Plants of the World Online also cites it as occurring in Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas.<ref name=POWO/><ref>{{cite book |title=Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants: A Gardener's Guide |first=Gary |last=Irish |publisher=Timber Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-88192-442-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/agavesyuccasrela0000iris/page/187 187] |url=https://archive.org/details/agavesyuccasrela0000iris|url-access=registration }}</ref> Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true palms (Arecaceae). It has become popular in Europe and worldwide as an ornamental plant. There are 350-year-old Beaucarneas registered in Mexico.<ref>Instituto de Ecología A.C. video files, Mexico</ref>

==Description== It is an evergreen perennial growing to {{convert|8|m}} in height, with an enormously expanded caudex for storing water.<ref name="RHSD">{{cite book | last=Huxley | first=Anthony | last2=Griffiths | first2=Mark | last3=Levy | first3=Margot | title=The New Royal horticultural society dictionary of gardening | publisher=Macmillan Stockton press | publication-place=London New York | date=1992 | isbn=1-56159-001-0 | volume=3 | page=324}}</ref> This caudex can be as great as {{cvt|14|m}} girth in the wild.<ref>The Beaucarnea- Calabanus Clad https://www.explorelifeoearth.org/beaucarnea.html </ref><ref> Dave's Garden https://.com/guides/articles/view/261/ </ref> The single palm-like stem produces terminal tufts of strap-shaped, recurved leathery leaves, sometimes hair lock-shaped in the ends, and with occasional panicles of small white flowers once the plant reaches over 10 years of age.

The trunk is swollen at the base and slender higher up; young plants are unbranched, but become well branched with age. The almost spherical caudex in the youth stage later becomes broadly conic and very wide at the base. The bark is smooth or finely cracked. The leaves are green, linear, slightly recurved and bent, thin, flat or slightly ridged. They are up to {{cvt|180|cm}} long and up to {{cvt|2|cm}} wide.<ref name="RHSD"/> The flowers are creamy-white, 1.5 mm diameter, produced in a dense panicle {{cvt|90–112|cm}} tall.<ref name="RHSD"/>

==Habitat== ''Beaucarnea recurvata'' occurs over an altitudinal range of {{cvt|200 to 900|m}} above sea level.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/> It grows on rocky soils deficient in nutrients, cliffs and steep mountains, where it grows in full sun or partial shade. Its habitat is low deciduous forest, with average temperatures of {{cvt|20|C}} and an annual rainfall of {{cvt|800|mm}}, and a well-marked dry season of between 7 and 8 months. The plants are very slow growing and very tolerant to drought.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miranda |first1=Faustino |last2=Hernández-X |first2=Efraim |date=1963 |title=The types of vegetation of Mexico and their classification |journal=Boletín de la Sociedad Botánica de México |volume=28 |pages=29–72 |doi=10.17129/botsci.1084|doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Conservation == The species of the genus ''Beaucarnea'' are mostly in critical condition due to various anthropogenic activities, which has led to severe fragmentation and destruction of their habitat. Additionally, the collection of seeds, seedlings, juveniles and adults for commercial use has affected population size and the proportion of sexes, thereby reducing fertilization possibilities and, consequently, seed production.<ref>Hernández SL, M. Martínez, G. Malda B., HA Castillo G., O. Salcedo G., Osorio R. Ma. L., A. Contreras H., R. Orellana L., C. Swords M., LE Carrillo S., KKE Almanza R., M. Capdevielle V, Ml Á. Herrera A. and M. Á. Pérez F. 2010. Final project report (ORN_PTA 09). Collection of elephant foot accessions (''Beaucarnea'' spp.) for germplasm conservation in Mexico . Autonomous University of Queretaro. 54 p.</ref> This exploitation process exposes this species, in a state of threat or extinction, by reducing the minimum viable size of the populations, as well as the deterioration of their genetic diversity.<ref name=":0" /> ''Beaucarnea recurvata'', is considered to be threatened according to Official Mexican Standard 059-ECOL-2010 of SEMARNAT in Mexico.

The species is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meaning international trade in the species and its parts/derivatives is regulated by the CITES permitting system.<ref name="CITES"/>

==Cultivation== Having gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit,<ref name=RHS>{{cite web |title=RHS Plant Selector - ''Beaucarnea recurvata'' |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/1993/Beaucarnea-recurvata/Details |access-date=15 April 2020}}</ref> ''B. recurvata'' is often grown as a houseplant, or an outdoor plant in subtropical climate gardens. Slow-growing and drought-tolerant, ''Beaucarnea recurvata'' is hardy to {{convert|10|°C|°F}}, grows in full sun to light shade, and requires proper soil mix to drain when watered. Overwatering fosters pests such as the mealybug and cochineal insects. If kept in regions with winter frost, it must be an indoor plant as it cannot withstand cold temperatures. To maintain its original shape, the ends of its leaves should not be snipped, and when repotted it must keep all of its roots.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Nason |first1=John D. |last2=Hamrick |first2=J. L. |date=1997 |title=Reproductive and Genetic Consequences of Forest Fragmentation: Two Case Studies of Neotropical Canopy Trees |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255658715 |journal=Journal of Heredity |volume=88 |issue=4 |pages=264–276 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a023104 |via=ResearchGate|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Toxicity== The species is not toxic to dogs, cats or horses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bottle Palm |url=https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/bottle-palm |website=ASPCA |access-date=5 August 2023 |language=en}}</ref> ==Gallery== <gallery> File:Beaucarnea recurvata, Llera, Tamaulipas, Mexico 2.jpg|In flower, Llera de Canales, Tamaulipas File:Monte (Funchal) - Beaucarnea recurvata (Elefantenfuß) IMG 2021.JPG|Cultivated, Funchal, Madeira island File:Monte (Funchal) - Beaucarnea recurvata (Elefantenfuß) IMG 1748.JPG|Cultivated, Madeira garden File:New Growth.jpg|Regrowth after a crown breakage on a cultivated plant in Homestead, Florida File:Kokedama Praha balkon 2020 2.jpg|As kokedama in a city flat in Prague, Czech Republic File:Beaucarnea recurvata serrated leaf margin.jpg|Macro image of the serrated margin of a leaf from a 7-year-old potted plant. </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commonscat}} *{{GRIN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaucarnea recurvata}} recurvata Category:Endemic flora of Mexico Category:Flora of Veracruz Category:Garden plants of North America Category:Ornamental trees Category:Drought-tolerant plants Category:Caudiciform plants Category:Taxa named by Charles Antoine Lemaire Category:Taxa named by Karl Koch