Syagrus oleracea?

[iwan]

I purchased this in 2007 as Syagrus oleracea. It was planted in 2009 from a 15g. I have not protected it since the first winter in the ground. It currently has about 8' of trunk. It has experienced 20F the last three winters. This last winter it experienced over 200 hours of freezing temps over about three weeks which damaged even zone 8b plants. It was 100% defoliated this last winter, but was pushing a new spear in February. It has recovered quicker and looks better than most of the queens of similar size in my yard. I just noticed that it is pushing the first inflorescence.

So is this Syagrus oleracea or possibly a hybrid? The inside of the spathe is blonde vs rust colored on my queens. There is a lot of fiber which holds the petioles quite vertical.

[iwan]

Another flower shot.

[edbrown_III]

http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Syagrus-oleracea.jpg

pretty good chance I have to see if I have some pictures of the flowers --- real good phontos of fruit and photos in Palmeras Brasileros

[Phoenikakias]

I would take an oath, that this palm is a more gracile form of Arecastrum, with narrower and proportionally longer leaflets. The one appearing in the link above looks on the newest leaves diiferent, but again it may be only the perspective... On the other hand however I wish that an oleracea actually looks like this, because this would mean that I have already one, which grows from seeds collected in the Loro Parque in Tenerife. A friend of mine actually gathered seeds from two 'different forms' of Arecastrum a massive and a gracile one. I have kept one exemplary from the gracile form, which really is identical to the one depicted in the start of this topic. It (my specimen) always intrigued me with its very longilinear leaflets. And now I see another palm with this trait! And I was about to toss it...

[iwan]

Thanks for the comments Ed. This picture is a close match for my inflorescence although I can't vouch for the picture validity.

http://www.kimage.com.br/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/72f1a4235c7aca6c735077225f5dacf7/b/a/banner_20111201_234250554d4a1a0c4176d539225a417ecb18f2.jpg

I doubt it will set fruit on the first inflorescence and tonight will be in the mid-20's, so if anything is fertilized it will probably be damaged. The fruit will help with the ID.

[Josh-O]

I agree Iwan, when it fruits you will have a better chance to ID the Syagrus

[edbrown_III]

Thanks for the comments Ed. This picture is a close match for my inflorescence although I can't vouch for the picture validity.

http://www.kimage.com.br/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/72f1a4235c7aca6c735077225f5dacf7/b/a/banner_20111201_234250554d4a1a0c4176d539225a417ecb18f2.jpg

I doubt it will set fruit on the first inflorescence and tonight will be in the mid-20's, so if anything is fertilized it will probably be damaged. The fruit will help with the ID.

what kind struck me is the length of the seeds ---- its closer to S. oleracea dimensions also look how few rachillae are .... vegetatively S. oleracea is plumose but the leaflets are in bunches of 2-3 and in the same plan ---- \\\Best regards

[Josh-O]

nothing like a good 'ol mystery

[iwan]

Almost two years later and this palm has a reasonably full canopy now and is flowering profusely now and currently pushing a fourth spathe.  Last year there was no inflorescence.  Two inflorescences currently have minimal fruit set.  It was windy and hard to get good pictures of the fruit, but they appear similar to the picture linked in a prior post.  These are open pollinated, so could be F2, xSyagrus rom or xButia (various).  Next year I will emasculate any flowering palms in the garden. 

The canopy picture is pretty poor because of the clouds, but it gives an overall impression of the form.  There was minimal damage last year with a low of 25F.  If there was any damage it was only some spotting which occurs on Syagrus rom and even many of my hybrids.

[Al in Kona]

Just sharing these pics that I took of Syagrus oleracea at the entrance to Harri Lorenzi's PLANTARUM Botanical Garden near Campinas, SP, Brasil .  The palms are all Syagrus oleracea. 

[iwan]

Thanks for the pictures Al.

My tree resembles the ones pictured, but they appear to be much thinner trunked (except for the middle tree in the last picture).  My trunk appears to be similar in size to the middle tree.  My tree appears to have less tidy foliage compared to Lorenzi's.  Hopefully the fruit survives the winter.  I suspect the latest inflorescence and the new spathe will abort, especially if it gets below 25F this winter.  With another drought year predicted, I anticipate another low 20's F freeze this winter.