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Iriomote Ishigaki NP, Okinawa
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The Ishigaki niinii cicada lives only in and around Yonehara’s palm forest. It has been reported calling near 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. in June–July, when other cicadas are quiet; its habitat is legally protected.
Wild Yaeyama palms grow only on Ishigaki and Iriomote, in 3 known groves; Yonehara is the Ishigaki stand. The species is the sole member of its genus—an entire botanical branch represented by one palm.
The grove was protected in 1959 as “Yonehara no-yashi grove”—when its palm was still thought to match Ogasawara’s No-yashi. After botanists separated the species, the name changed in 1973.
The palm’s trunk can flex in strong winds, helping it withstand the typhoons that frequently sweep Okinawa. The National Museum of Nature and Science notes this as one reason the tall tree can endure the island’s stormy weather.
Yonehara’s palms rise above the surrounding broadleaf forest, reaching 20–25 m. Their feather-like compound leaves can stretch 4–5 m—almost the length of a small car.
The scientific genus name Satakentia honors Toshihiko Satake, a Japanese industrialist and devoted palm student who corresponded with botanist H.E. Moore. The grove’s palms carry that tribute in their name.
Ripe Yaeyama palm fruits range from red to yellow and feed bulbuls and Oriental turtle doves. This rare, towering palm also helps nourish the birds moving through the forest.
