Chamaedorea microspadix

Common name

hardy bamboo palm

Description

Stems: Clustering, but widely-spaced stems, to 3 m tall and about 1 cm in diameter. Leaves: Pinnatepinnate:
like a feather; palms with pinnate leaves usually have compound leaflets attached to a rachis, although a pinnate leaf may be entire with pinnate veins (e.g., <em>Chamaedorea metallica</em>)
, reduplicatereduplicate:
Most palm leaflets or leaf segments are obviously folded. If the folds create an upside-down V-shape, with the margins lower than the midrib (so that rain might "run off the roof"), the folding is reduplicate.
, with slightly drooping, sigmoidsigmoid:
resembling the Greek letter sigma or the Latin letter "s"; s-shaped
leaflets spreading in a single plane and evenly spaced along the rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
, but with broader apical leaflets. Upper and lower leaflet surfaces are green, without spines or obvious tomentumtomentum:
a covering of closely matted or fine hairs on plant leaves
. Flowers and fruits: Pendulous, about 30-60 cm long, branched to one order with 3-6 branches. Creamy white male and female flowers are borne on different plants. The spherical fruits, 1 cm in diameter, are orange-red when ripe.

Diagnostic features

Field: Clustering, but widely-spaced palms, to 3 m tall with red fruit. Apical leaflets broader than others.

Lab: Prominent midrib and multiple secondary veins prominent on undersurface of leaflets

May be confused with

Chamaedorea seifrizii, but C. microspadix has a greater distance between stems in a clump and produces red fruit, while those of C. seifrizii are black when ripe.

Distribution

Native to Mexico

Additional comments

Among the most cold tolerant Chamaedorea palms; cultivated in Hawaii and Florida

Scientific name

Chamaedorea microspadix Burret

Family

Arecaceae/Palmae

Synonyms

none