Chamaerops

Last updated

Contents

Chamaerops
Chamaerops humilis (Zingaro)015.jpg
Chamaerops humilis var. humilis, Zingaro, Sicily
Chamaerops humilis large patch SW Spain.jpg
Large monospecific patch of C. humilis in southwest Spain.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Coryphoideae
Tribe: Trachycarpeae
Genus: Chamaerops
L.
Species:
C. humilis
Binomial name
Chamaerops humilis
L.
Chamaerops humilis range.svg
Distribution map
Synonyms

Several, including:

  • Chamaerops elegans Hook. f. [2]
Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, vol. 10: t. 8 (1815) Chamaerops humilis132102.jpg
Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, vol. 10: t. 8 (1815)

Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. It contains only one species, Chamaerops humilis, variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms and is used in landscaping in temperate climates. [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Apart from the universally accepted Chamaerops humilis, there are a few potential taxa of unresolved status, plus numerous species synonymised under Chamaerops humilis. [5] The genus Chamaerops is closely related to the genus Trachycarpus . The genera differ in that Trachycarpus lacks the clumping habit (only forms single stems without basal suckers), the spiny leaf stems (spineless in Trachycarpus), and in small details of the flower anatomy.

Subspecies

The species Chamaerops humilis itself has three accepted varieties as follows: [6]

There also are at least three cultivars: C. humilis var. humilis 'Nana', C. humilis 'Vulcano', and C. humilis 'Stella'. [7] C. humilis 'Vulcano' is a compact, thornless cultivar that may be silvery, but less so than argentea. The leaves tend to be thicker, and the appearance of the plant is bushier than var. humilis or var. argentea.

Description

Chamaerops humilis var. argentea, south slopes of the High Atlas, Morocco. Zoom in to see the spines on the petioles. Chamaerops humilis argentea1.jpg
Chamaerops humilis var. argentea, south slopes of the High Atlas, Morocco. Zoom in to see the spines on the petioles.

Chamaerops humilis is a shrub-like clumping palm, with several stems growing from a single base. It has an underground rhizome which produces shoots with palmate, sclerophyllous leaves.

The stems grow slowly and often tightly together, eventually reaching 2–5 m (10–20 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of 20–25 cm (8–10 in). It is a fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), and as such, has leaves with petioles terminating in rounded fans of 10–20 leaflets. Each leaf is up to 1.5 m (5 ft) long, with leaflets 50–80 cm (20–30 in) long. The petioles are armed with numerous sharp, needle-like spines; these may protect the stem growing point from browsing animals.

The flowers are borne in dense, short inflorescences at the tops of the stems. The plants usually, but not invariably, are dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants. The prophyll covers the flowers on the inflorescence until the sexual phase (anthesis) and then splits open apically into two triangular lobes. The number of flowers per inflorescence is highly variable for both male and female plants, depending on the size of the inflorescence. Female flowers are tri-ovulate. [8] Unripe fruits are bright green, turning to dull yellow to brown as they ripen during autumn (September–November). The seed (usually 0.6–0.8 g or 1⁄50–3⁄100 oz) contains a small cylindrical embryo, which is surrounded by several layers, from inner to outer as follows:

Distribution

Chamaerops humilis is one of only two palm species native to continental Europe, the other being Phoenix theophrasti . It is mainly found in southwestern Europe, over all the south coasts of Spain and Portugal, central and southern Italy, parts of the southern Mediterranean coast of France and Monaco, on the islands of Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands, [10] as well as North Africa in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. [6] [11] It is one of the northernmost naturally occurring palms in the world, with the northernmost native standing in Genoa, Italy, at 44°N. [12] Although not naturally occurring far north from the Mediterranean, Chamaerops humilis grows well as far north as southern England.

Cultivation

Chamaerops humilis is valued in gardening and landscaping in many parts of the world. It is very drought-tolerant once established. It is hardy to −12 °C (10 °F), but does prefer hot summers. It is a very slow-growing plant. A blue form of the species, native to high elevations of the Atlas Mountains, has recently been introduced into the trade and early reports indicate that it may be 12 °C (22 °F) or more hardier than the green form. [13]

It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [14]

Ecology

Derelomus chamaeropsis, a weevil, is the only known significant insect pollinator of Chamaerops humilis. Derelomus.jpg
Derelomus chamaeropsis , a weevil, is the only known significant insect pollinator of Chamaerops humilis.
In southern Spain, the Eurasian badger Meles meles is the main seed disperser of C. humilis Badger-badger.jpg
In southern Spain, the Eurasian badger Meles meles is the main seed disperser of C. humilis

Chamaerops humilis has a wide distribution in uncultivated land, and it is adapted to regimes of frequent burning, which it survives largely by re-sprouting from underground rhizomes and from fire-damaged stems. Such factors make the species ecologically important in preventing erosion and desertification and in providing shelter and food to many species of animals.

Chamaerops humilis flowers in spring, typically from April to May. The plant also may be partly anemophilous (wind-pollinated), but it is at least partly entomophilous (insect-pollinated). Only one insect species is known to pollinate it, namely a specific weevil, Derelomus chamaeropsis, in the family Curculionidae. [16] The nature of the relationship with the weevil is a version of nursery pollination mutualism with the weevil; the form this takes is that once pollinating weevils have found a satisfactory plant, whether male or female, they usually stay on the same plant until the end of its anthesis, finding shelter, egg-laying sites, and food in the inflorescences. [17]

At anthesis, as is common in angiosperms, both male and female Chamaerops humilis plants attract their pollinators with chemical compounds, but an unusual feature is that their scents are released by the leaves, and not by the flowers. [18] Towards the end of anthesis, weevils leave the plant and seek a new host plant, again either male or female.

Larval development of the weevil Derelomus chamaeropsis occurs within rachises of inflorescences of male plants during autumn and winter. At the beginning of the next flowering period, adult weevils emerge from the dry and brittle stems of old inflorescences of the previous year of male plants only. Those that hatch in female plants die without concluding their development. This is because the palmettos are adapted to prevent the pollinating weevils from destroying the female inflorescences with their burden of seed. Weevils have been shown to lay eggs within female inflorescences, but as soon as seeds start to develop, eggs or larvae fail to continue their life cycle. On the other hand, male inflorescences have completed their function after pollination, so it is advantageous to the plant's reproduction for the weevils to complete their life cycles and shelter in the male inflorescences, thereby remaining available for pollination when they emerge in the following season. [19]

The ripe pulp of C. humilis has several important functions. [20]

Because of the combination of such functions in the pulp, the palm both benefits and suffers adverse consequences when carnivores feed on the fruit and thereby remove the pulp. On the one hand, the seeds that carnivores swallow, germinate more frequently than seeds in entire fruit. On the other hand, ingested seeds are more frequently destroyed by invertebrate pests than non-ingested seeds. However, because of the mobility of carnivores, their dispersal service is important to the palmetto, given the severe fragmentation and isolation of most populations across the increasingly densely populated Mediterranean basin.

The fungus Coniothyrium palmarum which has been found associated with leaf spots on Phoenix dactylifera (Arecaceae) in India and Cyprus, has been found on a dead petiole (leaf stalk) of Chaemerops humilis (Arecaceae) in Italy. [22]

Uses

Apart from its material benefits, this palmetto is of emotional value as a charismatic component of the "garrigues" and "macchias" of the Mediterranean coastline.

The leaves of the adult plants have been used to make brooms and for weaving mats, carrier baskets, and similar articles. For finer work the young, unopened leaves are treated with sulphur to soften them and provide supple fibre.

The husk, known in southern Spain as "higa", is edible before it becomes too tough to eat as it matures. Because of their bitterness and high tannin content, the fruit are not used for human food, but in traditional medicine they have been used as an astringent. [23]

Conservation

Urbanization and other human activities are making such rapid inroads into the natural habitat of the palm that they are raising concerns about the future of the species and its environment. Accordingly, there is an increase in regulations to protect both its stands and those of associated Mediterranean endemics.

Another conservation problem is that particularly in the northernmost parts of its natural range, Chamaerops humilis is seriously threatened by an introduced South American moth Paysandisia archon . [24] [25] Also, this Mediterranean native palm is affected by the introduction of related ornamental species because of the concurrent introduction of seed predators (such as Coccotrypes dactyliperda and Dactylotrypes longicollis ) that feed on both the introduced and native palms. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arecaceae</span> Family of food and ornamental plants

The Arecaceae is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees. Currently, 181 genera with around 2,600 species are known, most of which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates. Most palms are distinguished by their large, compound, evergreen leaves, known as fronds, arranged at the top of an unbranched stem, except for the Hyphaene genus, who has branched palms. However, palms exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics and inhabit nearly every type of habitat within their range, from rainforests to deserts.

<i>Phoenix</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants of the palm family

Phoenix is a genus of 14 species of palms, native to an area starting from the Canary Islands in the west, across northern and central Africa, to the extreme southeast of Europe (Crete), and continuing throughout southern Asia, from Anatolia east to southern China and Malaysia. The diverse habitats they occupy include swamps, deserts, and mangrove sea coasts. Most Phoenix species originate in semi-arid regions, but usually occur near high groundwater levels, rivers, or springs. The genus is unusual among members of subfamily Coryphoideae in having pinnate, rather than palmate leaves; tribe Caryoteae also have pinnate or bipinnate leaves.

<i>Philodendron</i> Genus of flowering plants

Philodendron is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. As of September 2015, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepted 489 species; other sources accept different numbers. Regardless of number of species, the genus is the second-largest member of the family Araceae, after genus Anthurium. Taxonomically, the genus Philodendron is still poorly known, with many undescribed species. Many are grown as ornamental and indoor plants. The name derives from the Greek words philo- 'love, affection' and dendron 'tree'. The generic name, Philodendron, is often used as the English name.

<i>Trachycarpus</i> Genus of palms

Trachycarpus is a genus of eleven species of palms native to Asia, from the Himalaya east to eastern China. They are fan palms, with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The leaf bases produce persistent fibres that often give the trunk a characteristic hairy appearance. All species are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate plants although female plants will sometimes produce male flowers, allowing occasional self-pollination.

<i>Trachycarpus fortunei</i> Species of palm

Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm or Chusan palm, is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India.

<i>Cirsium arvense</i> Species of flowering plant

Cirsium arvense is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native throughout Europe and western Asia, northern Africa and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is creeping thistle. It is also commonly known as Canada thistle and field thistle.

<i>Aiphanes</i> Genus of spiny palms native to tropical South and Central America and the Caribbean

Aiphanes is a genus of spiny palms which is native to tropical regions of South and Central America and the Caribbean. There are about 26 species in the genus, ranging in size from understorey shrubs with subterranean stems to subcanopy trees as tall as 20 metres (66 ft). Most have pinnately compound leaves ; one species has entire leaves. Stems, leaves and sometimes even the fruit are covered with spines. Plants flower repeatedly over the course of their lifespan and have separate male and female flowers, although these are borne together on the same inflorescence. Although records of pollinators are limited, most species appear to be pollinated by insects. The fruit are eaten by several birds and mammals, including at least two species of amazon parrots.

<i>Borassus</i> Genus of palms

Borassus is a genus of five species of fan palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Papua New Guinea.

<i>Phoenix theophrasti</i> Species of palm

Phoenix theophrasti, the Cretan date palm, is a palm native to the eastern Mediterranean, in Greece and Turkey. It, along with Chamaerops humilis are the only native palm species in the Mediterranean basin; areas forested with these species constitute Europe's only palm forests. Similarly in Turkey, it is the only native palm species; all other species—although much more common—are introduced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fan palm</span> Index of plants with the same common name

Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms (Arecaceae) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed. Most are members of the subfamily Coryphoideae, though a few genera in subfamily Calamoideae also have palmate leaves. Fan palm genera include:

<i>Syagrus romanzoffiana</i> Species of palm

Syagrus romanzoffiana, the queen palm, cocos palm or Jerivá, is a palm native to South America, introduced throughout the world as a popular ornamental garden tree. S. romanzoffiana is a medium-sized palm, quickly reaching maturity at a height of up to 15 m (49 ft) tall, with pinnate leaves having as many as 494 pinnae (leaflets), although more typically around 300, each pinna being around 50 centimetres (18 in) in length and 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) in width.

<i>Zombia</i> Genus of palm endemic to Hispaniola

Zombia antillarum, commonly known as the zombie palm, is a species of palm tree and the only member of the genus Zombia. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles. Usually found in dry, hilly areas of northern and southern Haiti and the northwest of the Dominican Republic, Z. antillarum is a relatively short fan palm with clustered stems and a very distinctive appearance caused by its persistent spiny leaf sheaths. Threatened by habitat destruction in Haiti, Z. antillarum is a popular ornamental species due to its distinctive appearance, low maintenance requirements and salt tolerance.

<i>Attalea crassispatha</i> Species of palm

Attalea crassispatha is a palm which is endemic to southwest Haiti. The most geographically isolated member of the genus, it is considered a critically endangered species and has been called one of the rarest palms in the Americas.

<i>Attalea</i> (plant) Genus of palms

Attalea is a large genus of palms native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. This pinnately-leaved, non-spiny genus includes both small palms lacking an aboveground stem and large trees. The genus has a complicated taxonomic history, and has often been split into four or five genera based on differences in the male flowers. Since the genera can only be distinguished on the basis of their male flowers, the existence of intermediate flower types and the existence of hybrids between different genera has been used as an argument for keeping them all in the same genus. This has been supported by recent molecular phylogenies.

<i>Borassus heineanus</i> Species of palm

Borassus heineanus is a species of a large solitary fan palm found only in northern New Guinea, in both Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, where it is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Roystonea borinquena</i> Species of palm

Roystonea borinquena, commonly called the Puerto Rico royal palm, is a species of palm which is native to Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Aiphanes deltoidea is a species of palm which is native to northeastern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borasseae</span> Tribe of palms

Borasseae is a tribe in the palm subfamily Coryphoideae. The tribe ranges from southern Africa and Madagascar north through the Arabian Peninsula to India, Indochina, Indonesia and New Guinea. Several genera are restricted to islands in the Indian Ocean. The two largest genera, Hyphaene and Borassus, are also the most widespread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trachycarpeae</span> Tribe of palms

Trachycarpeae is a tribe of palms in subfamily Coryphoideae of the plant family Arecaceae. It has the widest distribution of any tribe in Coryphoideae and is found on all continents, though the greatest concentration of species is in Southeast Asia. Trachycarpeae includes palms from both tropical and subtropical zones; the northernmost naturally-occurring palm is a member of this tribe. Several genera can be found in cultivation in temperate areas, for example species of Trachycarpus, Chamaerops, Rhapidophyllum and Washingtonia.

References

  1. ↑ Gardiner, L.M.; Véla, E. (2017). "Chamaerops humilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T13164373A95532812. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T13164373A95532812.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Hook. f. Rep. Progr. Condition Roy. Bot. Gard. Kew 1882: 64 1884
  3. ↑ Herrera, J. 1989. On the reproductive biology of the dwarf palm, Chamaerops humilis, in southern Spain.
  4. ↑ S. H. Jenkins (2 October 2013). Mediterranean Coastal Pollution: Proceedings of a Conference Held in Palma, Mallorca, 24-27 September, 1979. Elsevier. pp. 489–. ISBN   978-1-4831-5107-6.
  5. ↑ "The Plant List Version 1.1". 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  6. 1 2 WCSP, World Checklist of Palms: Chamaerops Archived 19 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "RHS advice & tips on garden & indoor plants Plant finder & selector / RHS Gardening" . Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 Dufay M. 2010. Impact of plant flowering phenology on the cost/benefit balance in a nursery pollination mutualism, with honest males and cheating females. J Evol Biol 23:977-86.
  9. ↑ Hasnaoui, O., M. Bouazza, and M. Thinon. 2009. Kinetical germination study of the Chamaerops humilis L. var. argentea Andre (Arecaceae). Environmental Research Journal 3:76–80.
  10. ↑ "Servei de Gestió Forestal-Chamaerops humilis".
  11. ↑ Euro+Med Plantbase Project: Chamaerops humilis Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Orsino, Francesco; Olivari, Silvia (1987). "La presenza di Chamaerops humilis L. Sul promontorio di Portofino (Liguria orientale)". Webbia. 41 (2): 261–272. doi:10.1080/00837792.1987.10670414.
  13. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  14. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Chamaerops humilis" . Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  15. ↑ Fedriani, J.M., and M. Delibes. 2011. Dangerous liaisons disperse the Mediterranean dwarf palm: fleshy-pulp defensive role against seed predators. Ecology 92:304–315.
  16. ↑ Dufay M. 2010
  17. ↑ Pat Willmer (25 July 2011). Pollination and Floral Ecology. Princeton University Press. pp. 565–. ISBN   978-0-691-12861-0.
  18. ↑ Dufay, M., Anstett, M.-C. & Hossaert-McKey, M. 2003. When leaves act like flowers : how dwarf palms attract their pollinators. Ecol. Lett. 6: 28–34.
  19. ↑ Dufay, M. & Anstett, M.-C. 2004. Cheating is not always punished: killer female plants and pollination by deceit in the dwarf palm Chamaerops humilis. J. Evol. Biol. 17: 862–868.
  20. ↑ Fedriani, J.M., and M. Delibes. 2011
  21. ↑ Herrera, J. 1989
  22. ↑ de Gruyter, J.; Woudenberg, J.H.C.; Aveskamp, M.M.; Verkley, G.J.M.; Groenewald, J.Z.; Crous, P.W. (June 2013). "Redisposition of phoma-like anamorphs in Pleosporales". Studies in Mycology. 75: 1–36. doi:10.3114/sim0004. PMC   3713885 .
  23. ↑ Merlo M.E., M.M. Aleman, J. Cabello, and J. Penas. 1993. On the Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis). Principes 37: 151-8.
  24. ↑ Parcs Nationaux de France: Hyères-les-(ex)-Palmiers Archived 20 March 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ International Palm Society: Importation of Mature Palms: A Threat to Native and Exotic Palms in Mediterranean Countries? Archived 30 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ Rodríguez M, M. Delibes and JM Fedriani. 2014. Hierarchical levels of seed predation variation by introduced beetles on an endemic Mediterranean palm. PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109867
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.