Bizarre Self-Destructing Palm Tree Found

Smivs writes "A giant self-destructing palm tree has been discovered in Madagascar. The palm is 20m (60ft) high with leaves 5m (16ft) long, the tallest tree of its type in the country, but for most of its life — around 100 years — it appears fairly unremarkable apart from its size. However, when it flowers, it puts so much energy into an impressive flower-spike, that it eventually collapses and dies. Dr John Dransfield, who announced the tree in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, is baffled as to how it came to be in the country. It bears a resemblance to a species of palm found in regions of Asia; 6,000km away. It is thought that the palm has gone through a remarkable evolution since Madagascar split with India some 80m years ago."

Comments

Geniuses self-destruct

[Anonymous Coward]

The best people in history have thrown all of their energy into their work, and produced works of genius.

Then they die, because they had nothing left.

Of course, middle management and morons live on. This is why humanity is doomed.

Re:Geniuses self-destruct

[quantaman]

The best people in history have thrown all of their energy into their work, and produced works of genius.

Then they die, because they had nothing left.

Of course, middle management and morons live on. This is why humanity is doomed. Actually I think that's just the artsy ones. To the best of my knowledge top scientists don't really have particularly different life expectancies than average people, and while most of them tend to make their major contributions while relatively young a lot of that probably has to do with changing life/work balances and older brains as opposed to burnout. Famous creative people on the other hand probably do tend to die younger. This is likely due to the fact that people find crazy interesting, so crazy people tend to be more artistically famous, when coupled with the kind of attention artistic fame brings it's not surprising their mortality tends to kicks in a fair bit sooner.

Poetic

[Lucas123]

The tree lives 100 years and then gives a last hurrah with a magnificant burst of flowers and dies. Not a bad way to go at all, eh?

Re: Bizarre Self-Destructing Palm Tree Found

[Aphex Junkie]

Nah, big difference -- this palm tree underwent evolution and does something useful

Re:From the article

[FalconZero]

If it's big enough to be visible on google earth, it's a pity they don't give the coordinates so we could all have a look.

Re:madagascar split from indonesia a long time ago

[peragrin]

It is bizarre and yet it isn't. Looking at a current map, with Indonesia many island they were more likely to build boats. Why would africans need to build boats capable of surviving the empty ocean when they have tons of food behind them on shore where it's dry. Indonesia didn't have that kind of resource so they built boats to travel with.

Vikings crossed the atlantic by island hopping along the north.(england, ireland, iceland, greenland, to newfoundland. why is Indonesia so remarkable for doing essentially the same thing in wammer waters(though still deadly)?

I wouldn't call it "self destructing"

[pclminion]

Salmon also die in the process of spawning themselves. They basically use up every ounce of fat and energy while swimming upstream to spawning waters and producing eggs. But I've never heard of anybody referring to this process as "self destruction."

Re:Nothing to see here, move along

[goatpunch]

Lemmings don't jump off cliffs, they get pushed off by Disney film crews: http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.asp

Re:Giant Palm of Death

[Angostura]

I have to say there are quite a few plants that die after flowering once, including Agave americana so this is not really that bizarre. There also also animals that die after reproducing (the salmon, for one).

Doing the Math

[Nom du Keyboard]

The palm is 20m (60ft) high with leaves 5m (16ft) long,

20m = 60f
5m = 16f

Obviously meters shrink, or feet grow, the more you have of them.