Palm ID in Terra Nostra Botanical Garden, AZORES!

[Rafael]

Hello palm people, typing from amazing Azores

Went to a terrific botanical park, called Terra Nostra, in São Miguel Island.

Between other beauties, mainly archontophoenix cunninghamiana and rhopalostylis sapida, saw this one below.

Any guesses? kentiopsis?

[Peter G]

Rhopalostylis Baueri?

[yeye]

i m agree with Peter . it is a rhopalostylis!!!

[Ben1]

Rhopalostylis Baueri?

I doubt that. I think petioles of a rhopalostylis would be a little more upright and the crownshaft would be thicker than the trunk.

But I have to admit, I don't have another guess...

[Josh-O]

The structure looks all wrong to me to be a Rhopalostylis Baueri. there is zero bulge in the crown shaft and the fronds are drooping downward. I'm stumped on this one.

It almost looks like a stretched out Ravenea glauca?? what ever it is it is growing in lots of shade.

[Pip]

Rhopalostylis bauri growing in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens

[Daryl]

Looks like Rhopalostylis to me

[Josh-O]

The mystery lingers on!!

[Pip]

The mystery lingers on!!

I don't think it does I believe Peter identified the palm correctly. The example I shared a photo of is growing in a much more open slightly sunnier position than that of the specimen that Rafael has asked about. In shade Rhopalostylis baueri takes on a more pendulous form.

[Palmdude]

Petioles stretch out in shade and cause the droop?

[Darold Petty]

Yes, Rhopalstylis is variable, depending on the sun exposure. I saw a Rhopalostylis at the New Plymouth Botanic Garden growing under dense canopy. I was certain that it was R. baueri because of the more open, hemispherical crown, but the label was R. sapida.

Also the crownshaft of Rhopalostylis is variable, depending on the number, and degree of development of the underlying spathes. It is true that the R. baueri crownshaft generally will be smaller in diameter relative to the trunk than for R. sapida.

Descriptions of the differences between the two species are only valid for adult plants under an open sky.

One example is that all Rhopalostylis have pronounced petioles as juvenile plants. A fairly constant difference is the color of the flowers. R. sapida will have mauve or lilac flowers while R. baueri will show cream or ivory flowers.

(An exception is R. sapida ' Chatham Island with cream colored flowers.)

In my garden I grow R. baueri ,R. sapida x baueri, R. sapida 'Great Barrier Island', R. sapida 'Little Barrier Island', and R. sapida 'Chatham Island'.

Over the last 32 years I have also observed 3 different flowering habits on the trees. ( But this would be a different topic !)

I also think the palm shown in this thread is a Rhopalostylis.

[Rafael]

Bump

Thanks guys for the inputs.

Is this palm's ID still a mistery?

[JasonD]

It's a Rhopalostylis, and I'd assert that it looks closer to a R. sapida than R. baueri. It's the shade condition that gives it the very open, relaxed crown.