Stevensonia Palm

A breathtaking and highly sought-after palm endemic to the islands of the Seychelles in the Indian ocean. Its common name is the 'Stevensonia palm' though it has another common name, the 'Thief palm' which it derived after a speciman was stolen from Kew gardens palm house! The epithet borsigiana, honours the 19th century German tropical plant collector, Albert Borsig, whose plant collection was renowned throughout Europe.

This palm has prominent spines on their stems and leaf bases, a feature generally thought to be a defence against the giant tortoises that used to roam free in the islands.