Chamaerops
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| Chamaerops humilis | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chamaerops humilis L. |
Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae (palm family), comprising a single species Chamaerops humilis (European Fan Palm or Mediterranean Fan Palm).
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[edit] Distribution
This palm is native to the western Mediterranean region. It is mainly found in southwestern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Malta) and northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia).[1][2]
[edit] Description
It is a shrub-like clumping palm, with several stems growing from a single base. The stems grow slowly and often tightly together, eventually reaching 2-5 m tall with a trunk diameter of 20-25 cm. It is a fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with the leaves with a long petiole terminating in a rounded fan of 10-20 leaflets; each leaf is up to 1-1.5 m long, with the leaflets 50-80 cm long. It also has numerous sharp needle-like spines produced on the leaf stems; these protect the stem growing point from browsing animals. The flowers are borne in dense, short clusters at the top of the stems; it is usually (but not invariably) dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is a brown drupe 1-2 cm long.[3][4]
It is the northernmost naturally occurring palm in the world, with the northernmost localities at Hyères-les-Palmiers, on the Mediterranean coast of southern France, at 43° 07' N,[5] and on the island of Capraia off the Italian coast, at 43° 04' N.
There is one species with two accepted varieties [1] and one cultivar [6]
- Chamaerops humilis var. argentea (syn. var. cerifera) André. Northwest Africa. Leaves glaucous.
- Chamaerops humilis var. humilis. Southwest Europe. Leaves green.
- Chamaerops humilis vulcano. Compact, thornless variety - 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.
It is closely related to the genus Trachycarpus from Asia, differing in clumping habit (Trachycarpus only forms single stems without basal suckers), the spiny leaf stems (spineless in Trachycarpus), and in small details of the flower anatomy.[3]
[edit] Ecology
It is adapted to a Mediterranean climate with cool, moist winters and summer drought, and typically grows on dry hill slopes. It is one of the hardier palms, tolerating winter frosts down to about −12°C,[7] though it does require hot summers for good growth.[citation needed]
In some areas, including its northernmost native location, it is seriously threatened by an introduced South American moth Paysandisia archon.[5][8]
It is often grown as an ornamental plant in southern Europe, and is also suitable for growing in many locations within the United States. It's also suitable for growing in the southern parts of the United Kingdom.
[edit] External links
- Chamaerops humilis culture & care on CultureSheet.org
- Scanpalm Chamaerops
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chamaerops humilis |
- ^ a b Kew Checklist of Palms: Chamaerops
- ^ Euro+Med Plantbase Project: Chamaerops humilis
- ^ a b Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
- ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ^ a b Parcs Nationaux de France: Hyères-les-(ex)-Palmiers
- ^ Royal Horticultural Society Horticultural Database: [1]
- ^ Dossiers-Jardin: Les palmiers résistants au froid
- ^ International Palm Society: Importation of Mature Palms: A Threat to Native and Exotic Palms in Mediterranean Countries?
 Flowers |
034.jpg) Mature fruit |
021.jpg) Mature fruit, close-up |
 Chamaerops humilis var. argentea, south slopes of the High Atlas, Morocco |
