Blue dwarf palm

Blue dwarf palm
Blue dwarf palms ( Chamaerops humilis var. Argentea ) in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Systematics
Commelinids Order : Palm- like arecales Family : Palm family (Arecaceae) Genre : Chamaerops Type : Dwarf palm ( Chamaerops humilis ) Variety : Blue dwarf palm
Scientific name
Chamaerops humilis var.argentea
André , 1885

The blue dwarf palm ( Chamaerops humilis var. Argentea ) is one of two recognized variations of the dwarf palm ( Chamaerops humilis ) in the palm family (Arecaceae).

features

The blue dwarf palm is like the dwarf palm Chamaerops humilis a fan palm . As the Latin name humilis ("low") suggests, it rarely reaches heights of more than 4 meters. The crown consists of 70 to 80 centimeters wide, semicircular, fans . The fans are silvery blue, hence the name argentea ("silvery"). Also often, but not scientifically, the blue dwarf palm is called Chamaerops humilis 'cerifera' ("wax-bearing"). When there is a lot of solar radiation, the fans develop their characteristic silvery-blue color on both sides, which is created by a layer of wax .

In Morocco , their country of origin , blue dwarf palms develop yellow inflorescences from March onwards, which, botanically speaking, develop orange-red berries after about six months .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 36 + 0-2s.

Occurrence

The area of ​​the blue dwarf palm covers the southwestern Mediterranean region , from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to the Mediterranean coast. It can be found at altitudes up to 1700 meters above sea level.

use

The blue dwarf palm is cultivated as an ornamental plant in Central and Southern Europe . Older plants have a high ornamental value and are very rarely offered.

photos

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  Chamaerops humilis var. Argentea in detail

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  Blue dwarf palms on the Atlas Mountains . Usually blue dwarf palms grow like a bush.

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  Blue dwarf palms grow on mineral-rich soils. In the Mediterranean area , the earth contains a lot of iron , hence the typical iron oxide red .

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  Blue dwarf palms also grow on mountain slopes and rocks up to 1700 meters above sea ​​level .

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  Individual plants form a trunk up to three meters high as long as they are not grazed by animals. Goats like to eat the new shoots of this (mostly) low palm.

literature

• Andreas Bärtels: Color Atlas of Mediterranean Plants . Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3488-8 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Chamaeops humilis at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

Web links

Commons : Blue dwarf palm ( Chamaerops humilis var. Argentea )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files