Pronunciation: kahm-uh-DOOR-ee-uh ross-ten-ee-OR-um
Common Name: none
Chamaedorea rossteniorum is a nice understory bifid Chamaedorea named after some of the more well known palm growers in California, Kurt and Lois Rossten. It is however a very rare species and rarely offered for sale. It is one of the more recently described species of Chamaedorea, missing from Hodel's 1992 Chamaedorea text. Perhaps as the palms in cultivation continue to grow, more effort will be made for fertilization and production of seed. This palm is native to the elevated tropical forests of Costa Rica and Panama, where it grows up to 4000'.
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Appearance and Biology
- Habit: solitary with a crown of 3-8 bifid leaves
- Height: 3' overall (virtually stemless)
- Trunk: underground
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 3'
- Leaf Description: pinnate/bifid; bright to dark green; 2'-4' long; leaves split about half their length; parallel pleated folds the length of each leaf blade; relatively thick and leathery in texture
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 1'-2' long; smooth; light green
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence: often arising out of the ground; 18"; half length is upright peduncle; rest is 4-5 pendent branches; pale yellow flowers
- Fruit: unknown in California
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Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 32F
- Drought Tolerance: low
- Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
- Cool Tolerance: moderate
- Wind Tolerance: low
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: slow
- Soil Preference: moist, acidic and well draining
- Light Requirement: shade to filtered light
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: tends to dry tip in sun/wind and poor water quality exposure
- Transplants?: unknown
- Indoor?: unknown
- Availability: very rare
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