World floral trade threatens rare palm

BANGOR, Wales, March 15 (UPI) -- The global flower trade threatens a rare palm because its leaves' ability to stay green long after being cut is attractive to florists, British botanists say.

Leaves of the xate palm (pronounced shah-tay) are mostly harvested from wild trees found in Central and South America, and increased use is threatening the species' long term survival, a study warns.

Training locals to cultivate the trees, to lessen the pressure on the wild population, has met with limited success, the study said.

The qualities of the tree's leaves mean they are in great demand, particularly on Mother's Day and Palm Sunday, experts said.

"One of the reasons why florists like this leaf so much is because once you have cut it, it stays green for 30-40 days," researcher Sophie Williams from Bangor University in Wales told the BBC.

"There can be about two weeks from the forest to the florist, yet they can still store it for another two or three weeks," Williams said.

The plant, which generally has five leaves, can be damaged if more than two leaves are removed at any one time, studies have shown.