Growth and population structure of Lodoicea maldivica in natural stands in Seychelles.

We monitored leaf production in seedlings, trunkless juvenile, immature, and mature male and female plants of the dioecious palm, Lodoicea maldivica, and studied how internode length changed with trunk height. The fieldwork was conducted in closed forest on Praslin Island and degraded forest on Curieuse Island. Data on numbers of leaves produced and rates of leaf production were used to estimate plant age.