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Sabinaria magnifica is a species of palm tree and the only member of the genus Sabinaria. Native to the Darién Gap on the border between Colombia and Panama, it grows from 1 to 6 metres (3 ft 3 in to 19 ft 8 in) tall with large, deeply-divided leaf blades. It has been described as "striking", "spectacular" and "beautiful" by taxonomists.
Although known by local mule drivers, it was first collected in April 2013 by Saúl Hoyos, and described scientifically by Colombian palm experts Gloria Galeano and Rodrigo Bernal who named the genus Sabinaria after their daughter. Despite being locally abundant, the limited range occupied by the species makes it vulnerable to habitat destruction.
Sabinaria magnifica is one of two palm species known to be endemic to the Darién Gap on the border between Colombia and Panama. It was first discovered near the base of the Serranía del Darién in Colombia in premontane moist forest-warm transition (according to the Holdridge life zone system), and was subsequently recorded on the Panamanian side of the border. Although locally common, the limited range makes the species vulnerable to habitat destruction; between 2014 and 2015 a portion of the forest where the species was first discovered was cleared for agriculture.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sabinaria by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
