Palm ID needed: Washingtonia or Livistona?

[Kostas]

Hello

Is this a Washingtonia robusta or a Livistona? I think it fits the W. robusta description but need confirmation. It's quite droopy when not pruned like it recently has unfortunately. The inflorescences are visible. Seed and fruit quite Washingtonia like is size,shape and color. I think it fits the W. robusta description but need confirmation,I see too much variety of Washingtonia robusta like palms,others droopy others stiff,small crowns,open crowns,very long inflorescences,short inflorescences,etc that I am not sure if they all are W. robusta or some are Livistona,and if they are,which one...

Thank you very much in advance!

[John in Andalucia]

Kostas, it looks like Livistona chinesis to me. Remove all those roughly-trimmed leaf bases, and the trunk is going to be quit skinny. The lower-left leaf in shot, and the way the leaf blades are drooping and "flowing in every direction" confirms that - IMO. Washingtonia leaves are a lot stiffer.

[John in Andalucia]

Then again, I just took this comparative shot -

What do you think?

[gyuseppe]

for me is Washingtonia

[John in Andalucia]

With a Washingtonia, you're going to see at least one or two emerging "stiff" leaves which have yet to succumb to the elements. I can't see that in these photos.

[John in Andalucia]

Looking closely at the barbs, I think it has to be a Washingtonia in that case. Where are those planted, Kostas?

[greekpalm]

washingtonia +1

[rprimbs]

I could be wrong but the leaves don't look stiff enough to me, for it to be a Washingtonia robusta.

[John in Andalucia]

I could be wrong but the leaves don't look stiff enough to me, for it to be a Washingtonia robusta.

My thoughts too. A newly emerging Washingtonia leaf should look as sharp as a Pritchardia pacifica - if that's not too much of an exaggeration. I'm just wondering if those are planted in a very windy location.

[Stevetoad]

Split leaf bases. Washy for sure

[Tampa Scott]

Split leaf bases. Washy for sure

I agree on Washy with the split leaf bases. Also a L.chinesis that size would not have all the leaf bases still attached to the trunk.

[Alberto]

Livistona chinensis hasn´t split petiole bases like this palm shows. This is certainly a Washingtonia

[Kostas]

Thank you very much for all your replies and help! I appreciate them a lot!

This palm and other conspecifics of it are really droopy and as soon as the leaf starts unfolding,the leaflets droop and flow with the breeze. The leafs are quite lax and nice. But the leaf bases are split and the barbs do look Washingtonia like as well as the seeds. The petioles seem a little skinny for a Washingtonia but in general I thought it matches this species. It's great to have a confirmation from you,didn't know L. chinensis doesn't have split petiole bases and didn't think of it at all...So I guess it's a droopy Washingtonia!

Do you think that this specimen is a pure robusta or does it have any filifera traits? Is droopiness a filifera trait or just normal variation of W. robusta? Just out of interest!

John,this palm is at a children's hospital in Athens called "Agia Sofia"(Saint Wisdom). There are more of them there and are all droopy,very attractive palms most of the time. Only when they decide to trim them,very infrequently thankfully,do they look like in the photo I posted. Otherwise they carry nice full crowns of droopy leafs!

Thank you very much in advance!

[Phoenikakias]

Split leaf bases. Washy for sure

Steve said it all! Just to mention another obvious trait, which is the very long inflorescences with very long papery bracts, very distinctive for Washingtonia. It can prove useful, when trunk is cleared from boots and remaining leaves due to overtrimming are not old enough to have exposed boots, like the Washi (?) on the corner of Mesogion with Michalakopoulou.

[John in Andalucia]

Thank you very much for all your replies and help! I appreciate them a lot!

This palm and other conspecifics of it are really droopy and as soon as the leaf starts unfolding,the leaflets droop and flow with the breeze. The leafs are quite lax and nice. But the leaf bases are split and the barbs do look Washingtonia like as well as the seeds. The petioles seem a little skinny for a Washingtonia but in general I thought it matches this species. It's great to have a confirmation from you,didn't know L. chinensis doesn't have split petiole bases and didn't think of it at all...So I guess it's a droopy Washingtonia!

Do you think that this specimen is a pure robusta or does it have any filifera traits? Is droopiness a filifera trait or just normal variation of W. robusta? Just out of interest!

John,this palm is at a children's hospital in Athens called "Agia Sofia"(Saint Wisdom). There are more of them there and are all droopy,very attractive palms most of the time. Only when they decide to trim them,very infrequently thankfully,do they look like in the photo I posted. Otherwise they carry nice full crowns of droopy leafs!

Thank you very much in advance!

Thanks for posting, Kostas. Quite a contrast to the "stiff leaf" Washingtonia in our garden. I didn't know about the split petiole base, either!