An easy Chamaedorea ID for someone.

[Steve Mac]

We got it a few years ago as an unidentified Chamy, it has grown very fast.

I just found the seeds today, the first lot, we didn't see it flower or the apparently nearby male.

There are some similar/same others nearby but we didn't see them flower either, they are hidden in the middle. 

I thought that it was going to be a nationsiana or woodsoniana but apparently not.

It is more sheltered than it looks. it is quite big over 12' high and that was the only seed spike.

[gyuseppe]

not is chamaedorea tepejilote?

[Steve Mac]

No, not tepe, we have other tepe, this trunk is darker green, the leaves are much bigger, longer and broader, also the leaf scars on the tepe are more deeply stepped, this trunk is more smooth straight down, and the leaf scar is less obvious. The long leaf veins are prominent on the top, the tepe has a raised mid leaf vein underneath. The fruit are quite large like a big olive.

This is the tepe trunk with stepped leaf scars.

This is another the same as the fruiting one I think it is the male, we have 4 of these unknown Chamys.

Another leaf heavily shaded.

This is next to a Ch. woodsoniana on the left for comparison.

The trunk is about 2" diameter, 1' of clear trunk, 2' of crownshaft, 6' of leaf, with 3' or more bare leaf stem.

 

 

 

[Steve Mac]

Look, I am going to keep on taking pictures until someone realizes that they have one and tell me what it is. 

Here are some more clues, It is big, it is reasonably fast. I don't know what it is, but I am sure that someone with Chamys does know.

I said earlier that the seed was like a large olive, correct that to...  just like an olive.

Colin where are you? It was one of your 'trash or treasure' I don't know what it is giveaways, from a few years ago.

It seems to grow too easily to be uncommon, but it may be a hybrid? 

 

 

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Steve

A form of Chamaedorea alternate

Regards

Colin

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Whoops

C.alternans

and grown in deeper shade, the ones grown in much more light have much more seed in my garden

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Another picture of the alternans

[Steve Mac]

Thanks Colin, 

Yes, that is probably it, but probably have to wait until it flowers again to be sure.

[Dave-Vero]

Whatever, a lovely plant.  I'm all in favor of stuffing shady places in the yard with them (and suitable Florida native plants).  

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hello Dave

I sent seed to to Jeff Searle a couple of years a go, he may have some

regards

colin

[DoomsDave]

Nationsiana?

[Steve Mac]

Dave, I don't think so, it is similar but I didn't think that the seeds were enough like a corn cob.  

[XYZ]

Tricky call. I am very much inclined to agree with Colin, but also share the view that alternans is a subset of tepejilote. For sure there are tepes that are much closer morphologically to the palm shown than to the lowland “wild” populations. There is good work by Castillo Mont, et. al. in a recent “Palms” that starts to unravel a bit of the confusion surrounding the different forms of this taxon. Infls can be very variable between populations. 

Dave, as Steve says, nationsiana has a very distinctive infruct that resembles those of deckeriana and allenii but even more so.

[Steve Mac]

Thanks guys I shall add pictures of flowers as they appear and I am sure that all will be revealed.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

5 hours ago, stone jaguar said:

Tricky call. I am very much inclined to agree with Colin, but also share the view that alternans is a subset of tepejilote. For sure there are tepes that are much closer morphologically to the palm shown than to the lowland “wild” populations. There is good work by Castillo Mont, et. al. in a recent “Palms” that starts to unravel a bit of the confusion surrounding the different forms of this taxon. Infls can be very variable between populations. 

Dave, as Steve says, nationsiana has a very distinctive infruct that resembles those of deckeriana and allenii but even more so.

The alternans seem to flower a different time to tepejilote...my second stand of alternans is in brighter light and produces many more seeds for some reason...any comments appreciated

Regards

Colin