Update RioMar Palm Collection

[Gileno Machado]

Here are a few pictures taken here in Recife, Brazil, last week.

We had a friend from Virginia (Palmtalk member Mark NoVa) visiting during the week, as he came to Recife for the Germany/US World Cup Football match and stayed in Sirinhaém during the weekend.

The next day I took him on a visit to the RioMar Palmetum we had planted 2 years ago, here are the photos:

[Gileno Machado]

Mark and the Copernicia alba. He took my picture with the Elaeis guineensis entire leaf type, from Thailand, both palms are doing great in this wet season.

[Gileno Machado]

Metroxylon warburgii from Samoa, Carpoxylon macrospermum, Copernicia prunifera (the local Carnaúba), Acrocomia crispa (ex-Gastrococos, from Cuba).

[Gileno Machado]

Pritchardia pacifica, Copernicia hospita blue, Mark and the Wallichia disticha.

[Gileno Machado]

Mark and the Beccariophoenix alfredii, Hyphaene thebaica, Allagoptera caudescens (Polyandrococos), Salacca wallichiana

[Gileno Machado]

Coccothrinax crinita, Areca catechu variegated, Palms in contrast

[Gileno Machado]

Arenga undulatifolia, Areca catechu dwarf, Attalea funifera, Astrocaryum alatum

[Gileno Machado]

Hi Mark Lewellen, we enjoyed a lot that visit...

[avanza]

Thank you very much :-D

How old of that Hospita?

[Walter John]

Loved that Salacca Gileno, imagine these in another two years, nice work.

[Cindy Adair]

Great collection of healthy palms! Thanks for the photos!

[Gileno Machado]

Thanks for the coments Cindy and Wal.

Avanza, that Copernicia hospita is + - 6 years old from seed.

[Al in Kona]

All of them are growing very nicely Gileno, thanks to you. Makes me wanna come over and see them for myself one day! BTW, we really enjoyed having you Brazilians visit all us on the Big Island end of May. It was fun but too short!

[redbeard917]

So the RioMar building is a shopping center? It is really cool that you put in a palmetum there. The palms look great.

[avanza]

Thank you very much Gileno :-D

That hospita look cool.

[NApalm]

Great shots and healthy palms! Bravo

[Mark_NoVA]

Hey Gileno! Thanks once again for your wonderful hospitality! Say 'hi' to everyone in your family for me, and tell them how much (a lot!) I enjoyed my stay there.

For all you other PalmTalkers, Gileno's hometown of Recife was the location of the U.S. team's 3rd game of the 2014 World Cup, vs. Germany. (Hopefully I'll put a lot of photos of NE Brazil up in a Travelogue once I catch up after returning.) Gileno gave me a fascinating tour of the city (once one of the richest in the Americas due to the sugar cane trade, the first to undergo urban planning, see history), highlighting some choice palms of course , and a park designed by Burle Marx.

His palm collection at RioMar is fascinating, with well over 100 species planted in a spot that will get a lot of viewing, along the entrance to this big new mall, as nice as I have seen anywhere. His palm and cycad collection in Sirinhaém is amazing, and the area near Sirinhaém spectacular and remote. I feel very lucky to have been able to visit!

[Mark_NoVA]

Yes, the RioMar mall is very nice

Edited July 10, 2014 by Mark_NoVA

[Mark_NoVA]

A few more palm photos:

[NApalm]

Great shots. The USA team did very well in the World cup and were unlucky to go further i'd say. The MLS is going from strength to strength and this is only going to help. Interesting times for sports fans in the usa.

[Gileno Machado]

Updated pictures

[TheMadScientist]

Would you have a close up photo of that taller, whiter....BIZZY.  Thank you for this update, so impressive.

[mulungu]

Was briefly in Recife recently, visiting in-laws for the holidays. I'd always wanted to visit the chic, upscale RioMar Recife shopping center and finally got a chance on this trip. Remembering this thread about the Palmetum from a few years ago, I decided to pop outside in the sweltering heat and snap a few quick photos of palms while family shopped. 

The Palmetum lies along this esplanade in front of the mall (view taken from the deck of the food court):

This was clearly the dry season. 

Loved seeing so many palms one never encounters in my freeze-prone part of Texas. 

Veitchia merrillii:

Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) leptocheilos:

Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) lutescens:

Arenga undulatifolia:

with detail of beautiful leaf texture:

Syagrus cearensis:

Coccothrinax barbadensis:

Dictyosperma album 'rubra'

I  was relying heavily on signage to identify the tropical specimens beyond my ken. However, walking along, it quickly became clear that there had been some monkey business with at least a few of the plaques.  For example, this one said "Sabal minor," which it clearly is not--I'm guessing Sabal uresana?

This one had the label for Sabal maritima, but am wondering if it is Livistona decora.

While this one said Sabal mauritiiformis, its leaves didn't have that radiating spoke-wheel look-- could this be the S. maritima?

I also believe the sign gremlins did a switcheroo on these two palms:
--labeled Elaeis guineensis but probably Veitchia arecina 

and labeled Veitchia arecina but probably Elaeis guineensis:

This had the plaque for Aiphanes minima. Any thoughts on what it really might be?

This one was labeled Dypsis ambositrae, which should be a crownshafted palm: could it be Syagrus schizophylla-- whatddya think?

Not sure on this one-- it says Bactris sp. Whatever it is, it was massive.

Some other labeled palms, which do appear to have the correct signs...

Phoenix reclinata:

Livistona chinensis:

Licuala spinosa:

Coccothrinax miraguama:

Butia purpurascens:

Beccariophoenix madagascariensis:

Thrinax radiata:

Copernicia alba:

Saribus (Livistona) rotundifolius:

Wodyetia bifurcata:

Trunk of Chambeyronia macrocarpa:

Carpentaria acuminata:

Gaussia maya:

Sabal bermudana:

Bactris setosa:

These didn't have plaques but I am putting my best guesses:

Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) decaryi

Some type of Acrocomia(?), with trunk detail:

A clumping palm, possibly the Hyphaene thebaica:

Old man palm, Coccothrinax crinata:

Possible Caryota mitis:

Hyophorbe lagenicaulis:

Likely Hyophorbe verschaffeltii:

Appears to be Syagrus romanzoffiana:

Probable Acrocomia (Gastrococos) crispa:

This may be the Bentickia nicobarica and Attalea oleifera referenced in the companion thread:

Phoenix sp.:

Apparent Copernicia sp.-- possbily prunifera:

Possible Pritchardia pacifica:

Copernicia hospita:

Elaeis guineense 'Entire leaf'

Phoenix roebelinii:

Possibly Kerriodoxa elegans (I stayed on the pathway and did not check the leaf underside):

A Licuala, perhaps var. peltata sumawongii

[mulungu]

These had no sign labels and I don't know for sure what they are, but are here for your enjoyment. Any educated guesses on what they might be would be truly appreciated!

 

At the end of the walk, a pair of gleaming white Bizzies is, to me, the ne plus ultra-- a song for the soul. 

 

[Jdash]

nice update! somehow i'm missing these posts with real progression! wonder why 🧐

[TropicsEnjoyer]

On 1/13/2026 at 2:57 PM, mulungu said:

Arenga undulatifolia:

One of my favorite exotic palms that I recently became aware of. I had some seeds but they never grew. I want to grow one someday the leaf texture is so attractive. Not very hardy to my knowledge though.