Archive of Vanished Flora
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Blood-tear Tree Sanguilarmis socotrana
Specimen · N°005 · Mist · ▶ Film

Sanguilarmis socotrana

Only at dusk does this tree shed red drops.

FOUND 12.5°N 53.9°E · Limestone plateau of Socotra  ·  ✝ EX · Last seen 2024

A low succulent shrub about 20–30 cm tall. On a twisted grey-white trunk it bears dense, thick, leathery blue-green leaves. As the sun lowers it secretes dark-red resin drops from the leaf tips, which harden black in the dry night air. The flowers are small, yellow-white and inconspicuous.

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Moving Image

Vertical, as filmed / tap to play
MOTION CLIP

Only at dusk does this tree shed red drops.

This footage was made vertical (9:16) and is also published on social media. The archive keeps it in its original ratio.

9:16 VERTICALCLIPSOUND ON
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Specimen Plates

8 plates · click to play
Blood-tear Tree plate 1PLATE I
Blood-tear Tree plate 2PLATE II
Blood-tear Tree plate 3PLATE III
Blood-tear Tree plate 4PLATE IV
Blood-tear Tree plate 5PLATE V
Blood-tear Tree plate 6PLATE VI
Blood-tear Tree plate 7PLATE VII
Blood-tear Tree plate 8PLATE VIII
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Field Note

Habitat
Limestone plateau of Socotra. At dusk in the dry season it is seen only in cracks of white limestone after the sea fog has withdrawn.
Local name
Blood-tears of Evening
Folklore
Locally, days when many red drops fall at dusk were taken as a sign of strong dry wind the next day. In years when the drops stay black on the trunk, the dry season is said to last longer.
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Locator

Coordinates
12.5°N 53.9°E
Limestone plateau of Socotra
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Record

Narration
0:00 / --:--

Only at dusk does this tree shed red drops.

What those blood-like drops truly are is still not understood.

The white limestone plateau of Socotra.

In rock cracks left after the sea fog withdraws, the Blood-tear Tree takes root.

On a twisted grey-white trunk, thick blue-green leaves are arrayed.

As the sun lowers, dark-red resin slowly seeps from the leaf tips.

More分類・学名・語源などの詳しい標本データ
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Classification

Classification & specimen data
Scientific name
Sanguilarmis socotrana  K. Brandt, 2024
Taxonomy
Plantae › Angiosperms › Dicotyledons › SanguilarmalesSanguilarmaceaeSanguilarmis › socotrana
Voucher
AVF-005 · Holotype
Archive of Vanished Flora (AVF)
Conservation
✝ EX — Extinct Last seen 2024
Collector
Y. Aoki
2023-06-09
Synonym
Sanguilarmopsis socotrana C. Iwabuchi, 2021
Protologue (Latin)
Planta humilis, caule brevissimo, petalis albidis nitentibus, in loco aperto crescens. Typus: Limestone plateau of Socotra. Species iam extincta.
Discovered / Described
2023 / 2024
Height
20〜30cm
Life form
Shrub to small tree
Phyllotaxy
Alternate
Chromosome
2n = 24
Flowering
A few hours around dawn
Pollination
Nocturnal small moths
Substrate · pH
Calcareous, weakly alkaline (pH 7.5+)
Elevation
0〜15 m
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Etymology

Etymology of the name
SanguilarmisGENUS
sanguiblood
larmistear
socotranaEPITHET
socotrof Socotra
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Related

Specimens of the same habitat
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