Hyophorbe indica

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Hyophorbe indica
Hyophorbe indica

Hyophorbe indica

Systematics
Order : Palm- like arecales
Family : Palm family (Arecaceae)
Subfamily : Arecoideae
Tribe : Chamaedoreeae
Genre : Hyophore
Type : Hyophorbe indica
Scientific name
Hyophorbe indica
Garden.

Hyophorbe indica is a species of the genus Hyophorbe in the family of Palm plants (Arecaceae).

description

Hyophorbe indica is a pinnate palm that grows faster than the four related Hyophorbe species bottle palm ( H. lagenicaulis ), spindle palm ( H. verschaffeltii ), Hyophorbe vaughanii and Hyophorbe amaricaulis . The palm reaches a height of about 10 meters and has a relatively thin, gray trunk that is about 13 cm thick. It may have a slight swelling at the base. When fully grown, the light green and swollen crown shaft, 50–60 cm long, merges into a crown, which forms 5–6 leaf fronds, each with 90–100 V-shaped pinnate leaves. The crown has the largest diameter of all Hyophorbe species. In contrast to the bottle palm and spindle palm , which virtually no petiole ( petiolus have), the petioles of the are Hyophorbe indica with 15-30 cm relatively long.

Interestingly, in contrast to the related species, this palm offers two different forms, which occur in different locations. To distinguish between these two forms, however, a few questions remain open to this day. It has been known since its discovery in the 16th century that there is a green and a dark colored form. The dark color is found on various parts of the plant, but especially on the not yet lignified trunk of young plants, as well as on leaf stalks and central ribs. The coloring is described as black, red, purple or orange, depending on the author, but the term “red form” has become established in the literature. Still, Harold E. Moore, Jr. , famous for his work on the palm family and a student of the well-known palm botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey , does not describe two forms in his monograph. He describes the crown shaft as silky, green on the outside, transitioning from light purple to purple on the trunk side and sometimes slightly yellowish in the upper part. He describes the middle rib of the leaves as yellow-green with a pronounced lateral rib on both sides, which are colored yellow on the underside. In general, it can be stated that the color of the red form weakens with increasing age and the appearance of both forms becomes more and more similar. The respective seeds also show differences in color. So the seeds of the red form appear darker. The green form is rarer and more sensitive to cold than the red form and, in contrast to the red form, is rarely cultivated.

Reproduction

White to off-white inflorescences ( inflorescences ), which can be up to 80 cm long, to grow directly below the crown stem steeply from a plant. Female and male, white to yellow colored, pleasantly scented flowers appear on an inflorescence. It is therefore a monoecious ( monoecious ) palm. The fruits are initially green and turn yellow to orange as they ripen. Like the fruits of the related spindle palm, the fruits of Hyophorbe indica are said to be bitter-tasting and inedible to poisonous. So far, no information has been found about the closer nature of the poison.

Growing from the fresh seeds , which are narrow and elongated, is relatively easy; the germination period is 60–100 days. Germination should be done in gelatin, agar or similar media.

distribution

Hyophorbe indica occurs as an endemic species on the island of Réunion , which belongs to the Mascarene island chain in the Indian Ocean . The green form is found there predominantly on the east coast of the island, while the red form is mainly found in the tampon region (south-west / central). The palm grows at heights of 175 to 600 m.

System and name

It was named around 1791 by the German botanist Joseph Gärtner after its occurrence on an island in the Indian Ocean. The fruits of some Hyophorbe species are said to have been eaten by pigs, to which the genus name refers (Greek: hys = pig and phorbe = food). In the Anglo-Saxon language area, the names "Poison Palm" or "Champagne Palm" are synonymous with the Latin name. The German names "Giftpalme" or "Champagnerpalme" can be derived from this. However, the term “champagne palm ” is also used by a few sources as a synonym for the related bottle palm ( Hyophorpe lagenicaulis ), which is why this name can lead to confusion and should be avoided. The origin of this name is not known. The name poison palm comes from the bitter-tasting fruits.

Synonymous with the somewhat misleading designation green and red form, the designation eastern (Eastern) and southern (Southern) form is often chosen.

Areca lutescens Bory is a synonym .

Web links

Commons : Hyophorbe indica  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

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