Syagrus sp. "Arcoverde"

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi All

need a copy of the story that came with the seed, and any other information you may have, has it been named yet etc

thanks in advance

regards

Colin

[Gileno Machado]

Hi All

need a copy of the story that came with the seed, and any other information you may have, has it been named yet etc

thanks in advance

regards

Colin

Hi Col,

I've named it myself, so I guess I should clarify this...

In late 2004 and during the years of 05 and 06, one of my friends who is a Biologist (primatologist, in fact but also interested in plants) was researching the occurence of a small native primate (Jacchus) and collecting field data for his Master degree project at several small valleys and remote gullies located between the towns of Arcoverde and Sertânia, located in a semi-arid region of my state (Pernambuco), ~400 km west from my town. He was surprised to spot a small Syagrus population thriving at a small rocky area at an elevation ~700 m and he mentioned that these palms were not found anywhere else in the fields around that location. I got very interested and asked him to take pictures and bring me some seeds and I was lucky to receive a whole lot of them next time he visited the place (two or three of the local palms were profusely fruiting at the time), which I decided to share with a few palmtalk friends from all over, in order to help the conservation of the species for the future. For the pictures I've seen at the time (I guess I've posted these photos here in Palmtalk but it was before the two changes we've had in this board) this species (undoubtly a Syagrus) is actually a midsize to small palm in its rocky and rather dry habitat and resembles a small S. coronata variety, some of them even bringing the spiral helicoid leaf base scars in the trunk but the crown of leaves looking much smaller and very different from coronatas and not similar to Syagrus cearensis either, both species are only found at a great distance of this remote population, not exceeding 25 plants according to his observations in situ.

I've given many of these sprouted seeds to Harri Lorenzi in São Paulo too, the author of the best brazilian book on the subject (Palmeiras Brasileiras e exóticas cultivadas) and I believe he was planning on doing some research with these palms in the future. My friend has finished his research in the area and I've never made it to visit the spot myself anyway...

My seedlings here are doing fine, not fast growers but they look nice...I believe your seedlings were probably given by Jay from Perth, with whom I used to have a great seed partnership at the time, in Australia, and he might have shared them with you...

I've heard these seedlings are doing fine in Thailand, Florida, Spain and SE Brazil, maybe also in California, Hawaii, Italy, Samoa and South Africa (?). I guess some of the seeds I've sent ended up with Robert Riffle but he gave them to someone else in order to germinate for him and then offer to Montgomery and Fairchild.

I'd love to see pictures of these palms in cultivation. I'll have to look where I put the original paper pictures of these palms in habitat and use a scanner to post them here again. Just have to find it, among my zillion palm related articles, photos and memorabilia kept somewhere...

Cheers.

[gyuseppe]

Gileno you have any photos of this syagrus?

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Gileno

thank you for the information

Have 2 seedlings, seeds must have come via Jason, They have been slow growing to date. One will be going to Royal botanical gardens in Sydney and wanted some data on it for their records. As they are so rare, it will be good it will be somewhere for future generations to enjoy

thanks again

regards

colin

Hi All

need a copy of the story that came with the seed, and any other information you may have, has it been named yet etc

thanks in advance

regards

Colin

Hi Col,

I've named it myself, so I guess I should clarify this...

In late 2004 and during the years of 05 and 06, one of my friends who is a Biologist (primatologist, in fact but also interested in plants) was researching the occurence of a small native primate (Jacchus) and collecting field data for his Master degree project at several small valleys and remote gullies located between the towns of Arcoverde and Sertânia, located in a semi-arid region of my state (Pernambuco), ~400 km west from my town. He was surprised to spot a small Syagrus population thriving at a small rocky area at an elevation ~700 m and he mentioned that these palms were not found anywhere else in the fields around that location. I got very interested and asked him to take pictures and bring me some seeds and I was lucky to receive a whole lot of them next time he visited the place (two or three of the local palms were profusely fruiting at the time), which I decided to share with a few palmtalk friends from all over, in order to help the conservation of the species for the future. For the pictures I've seen at the time (I guess I've posted these photos here in Palmtalk but it was before the two changes we've had in this board) this species (undoubtly a Syagrus) is actually a midsize to small palm in its rocky and rather dry habitat and resembles a small S. coronata variety, some of them even bringing the spiral helicoid leaf base scars in the trunk but the crown of leaves looking much smaller and very different from coronatas and not similar to Syagrus cearensis either, both species are only found at a great distance of this remote population, not exceeding 25 plants according to his observations in situ.

I've given many of these sprouted seeds to Harri Lorenzi in São Paulo too, the author of the best brazilian book on the subject (Palmeiras Brasileiras e exóticas cultivadas) and I believe he was planning on doing some research with these palms in the future. My friend has finished his research in the area and I've never made it to visit the spot myself anyway...

My seedlings here are doing fine, not fast growers but they look nice...I believe your seedlings were probably given by Jay from Perth, with whom I used to have a great seed partnership at the time, in Australia, and he might have shared them with you...

I've heard these seedlings are doing fine in Thailand, Florida, Spain and SE Brazil, maybe also in California, Hawaii, Italy, Samoa and South Africa (?). I guess some of the seeds I've sent ended up with Robert Riffle but he gave them to someone else in order to germinate for him and then offer to Montgomery and Fairchild.

I'd love to see pictures of these palms in cultivation. I'll have to look where I put the original paper pictures of these palms in habitat and use a scanner to post them here again. Just have to find it, among my zillion palm related articles, photos and memorabilia kept somewhere...

Cheers.

[Mike Evans]

I was cleaning out part of the nursery and bumped up the Syagrus sp. arcoverde to a 25 gal container and placed around the pool area. Have not heard about this for awhile or seen any pics in cultivation. Here are some recent photos. This looks like a ornamental syagrus with very stiff leaflets and some what silvery undersides. The leaves are a lot narrower than S. coronata and much stiffer. Gileno, thanks for spreading the seed. Any one else post some pics of theirs??

[Vance_palmnerd]

I bought this Syagrus "Arcoverde" at a plant sale at Leu Gardens 5 or 6 years ago from an unknown member of CFPACS.  It's not been a fast grower here in Orlando, but appears happy and healthy.  It seems to have gotten over its initial sensitivity to frost.  It was nearly unscathed in the freeze we had back in January.  Meanwhile my Attalea was about 80% defoliated and I lost a Coccothrinax sp. and a small Roystonea borinquena. The bulbous leaf bases and the stiff leaves and leaflets seem very Butia-like, but the leaflets being on two planes is, I think, a definitive Syagrus characteristic.

[quaman58]

Yeah, that's an unusual looking one. Definitely has that in between Syagus-Butia look.  Great looking palm!

[Josue Diaz]

What a nice looking syagrus. Any way to get seed any time soon? Or are any US-grown plants mature enough to flower and seed? 

[Mike Evans]

I finally got mine in the ground a few months ago. Leaflettes could be mistaken for a Phoenix Palm, because they are so stiff.   Here are some recent pics.  Thanks to  @cfkingfishfor the gift many years ago and @Gileno Machado for sending him some seed.  Great addition to the Garden!  Many people wanted to buy this over the years, glad I did not sell.

 

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[Kenarr09]

Nice palms guys but this looks a lot to me like the natural cross between syagrus glaucescens and syagrus romanzoffiana. Pretty common in places where this species overlapping. 

[5150cycad]

2 hours ago, Mike Evans said:

I finally got mine in the ground a few months ago. Leaflettes could be mistaken for a Phoenix Palm, because they are so stiff.   Here are some recent pics.  Thanks to  @cfkingfishfor the gift many years ago and @Gileno Machado for sending him some seed.  Great addition to the Garden!  Many people wanted to buy this over the years, glad I did not sell.

 

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That is a great looking syagrus. I wouldn’t have sold it either. 

[quaman58]

2 hours ago, Kenarr09 said:

Nice palms guys but this looks a lot to me like the natural cross between syagrus glaucescens and syagrus romanzoffiana. Pretty common in places where this species overlapping. 

Any chance one of the parents could be Butia? That base is very un-Syagrus looking.

[Kenarr09]

14 hours ago, quaman58 said:

Any chance one of the parents could be Butia? That base is very un-Syagrus looking.

No idea but you actually right! 

I'm wondering how syagrus coronata x butia?! 

Might be similar to the palms above

very few has this cross and if they post any pictures we can see if any difference 

[Alberto]

This are two Syagrus sp Arcoverde that I planted in the municipality of  Tibagi st. Paraná. 

[Alberto]

Cultivated from seeds sent by Gileno. Close of trunk showing some fruits.

[Alberto]

Petioles.

[Alberto]

Fruits

[Alberto]

Leaflets detail

[Alberto]

It withstood some freezing temperatures some years ago without damage. Pic from the other side.

[Kris]

I think i have this palm in my collection.Thinking it as a hybrid of Butia-Jubaea. Seeds were sent to me by Bro M@x,Italy.

I had gifted on nice grown one to the local park.While mine are still in pots. I will try to post visuals of it in a day or so.

I did not plant as i feared it would put massive trunk ! BTW. the leaf colour is blueish silver and very impressive.

Love,

Kris.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Kris

[Fusca]

The petioles and even the fruit look like they're from Butia hybrids.  Nice plants whatever they are!

[PalmatierMeg]

Took photos of mine, hope to post them tomorrow.

[PalmatierMeg]

Here are photos of my Syagrus Arcoverde. I got it from Christian Faulkner a couple years ago. It was germinated in 2007 and was still strap leaf when I got it - a very slow grower. I planted it in my Garden Lot between a Gaussia maya and a Pseudophoenix sargentii. It has finally gone pinnate and its leaves has a definite blue tint. Nice Syagrus.

[Kris]

Here is the one that went to the park !

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[Kris]

Cont..

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I have to go and get updates of the palms gifted to this park. I heard they do not water any plants during summer when usually the borewells of this park goes totally dry..

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[Alberto]

Kris,  Good thing to have donated this palm to the park. It would be interesting to see how it looks today.... This palm is originated from a dry enviroment, so maybe, it will survive and thrive with neglect.... 

[cfkingfish]

So glad to see this palm thriving on multiple continents! Thanks @Gileno Machado for the seed back then, these palms were moved from Venice to Miami, then back to Pine Island where they hung out at @Rusty on Pine Is. for a little bit. I traded some for other things, I wanted to spread them but not sell them. I still have my last one in a 15 gallon, not quite sure what to do with it. From what Gileno told me, these grow around 800m elevation (about 2600 ft) in Arcoverde, which is west of Recife in a much drier area. 

[Gileno Machado]

Very Nice. Glad they are doing so well in different climates. Mine look fine here too.