Beccariophoenix is a small genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, comprising three species all native to the island of Madagascar. The genus is closely allied to Cocos, the coconut genus, and its members are sometimes used as coconut look-alikes in cultivation.
Plants in this genus produce solitary, upright trunks and lack a crownshaft — the smooth, column-like extension of the trunk found in many other palms. The leaves are pinnate (feather-shaped) and can reach 2–5 metres in length. A distinctive feature of younger plants is the so-called "windowpane" effect: the leaflets are only partially separated from one another, leaving translucent sections between them that resemble panes of glass. As plants mature, the leaflets fully divide and the windowpane appearance disappears.
Beccariophoenix species are notably more cold-tolerant than the coconut palm, surviving temperatures down to approximately −3 °C, which makes them attractive for gardens in subtropical and warm-temperate climates where true coconuts cannot thrive. The best-known member, B. alfredii, was originally described as a variety of B. madagascariensis before being formally recognised as a distinct species in June 2014.
The genus was named in honour of Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari (1843–1920), a pioneering explorer and authority on the palms of the tropics.
Etymology
The genus name Beccariophoenix honours Odoardo Beccari (1843–1920), an Italian botanist and explorer renowned for his work on tropical palms. The suffix -phoenix alludes to Phoenix, a related palm genus, and is derived from the Greek word for the date palm.
Distribution
All three species of Beccariophoenix are endemic to Madagascar, occurring in the island's eastern and highland regions. The genus has no native range outside Madagascar.
Cultivation
Beccariophoenix species, particularly B. alfredii, are cultivated in tropical and warm-temperate gardens as a hardy substitute for the coconut palm. They tolerate brief frosts to around −3 °C and are grown in regions where coconuts would not survive. The windowpane appearance of juvenile plants makes them especially attractive as ornamentals.
