Having visited when it was still very difficult to get there, and to get around once you got there, I found myself ambivalent about news of road development on Socotra. The people there could certainly do with a couple of decent roads: there were none at all when I was there in the late 1980s, and I remember a couple of really heavy walks, carrying herbarium presses to boot. The place is beautiful, and should attract tourists, but they’re going to need roads too. On the other hand, it sounds like the road system and other development may not be as well planned as it might. The only wild relative of the pomegranate is endemic to the island, but I doubt any road is going to go anywhere near the few populations left. As I remember, they were (and hopefully still are) in really inaccessible places.
The Socotran pomegranate is not any more endangered as many plants were discovered on the island.
In Hawaii, there are a number of fruiting trees and seeds of these are now widespread as to conserve this type of plant.
Thanks to Dr Gregory Levin, we can to know more about this species which was unheard of in the scientific literature, but in a few old botanical magazines.
Thanks, Ariel. When I was on Socotra, we did find quite a lot of wild pomegranate. It is good to hear that the species is now thought not to be endangered.
@ariel shai –
Dear Ariel,
I would like to get seeds of the Socotran pomegranate. I would be very thankful if you could help me.
Thanks in advance,
Michael