Difference between revisions of "Acrocomia aculeata"

Latest revision as of 00:00, 31 July 2015

Pronunciation: ack-ruh-COE-me-uh ah-KEW-lee-ah-tuh

Common Name: Gru Gru Palm; Macaw Palm

Acrocomia aculeata is a Queen Palm look-alike except for its shorter leaves and very spiny nature. For those who want a tall, relatively rare palm with some hardiness, and like spiny palms, this might be a good one to try out. Was a synonym for multiple species that have more recently separated again (such as Acrocomia media and Acrocomia totai).

Synonym: Acrocomia mexicana

Appearance and Biology

Habit: solitary with a crown of 12-25 plumose leaves
Height: 40'
Trunk: single; faintly ringed; grey and woody looking; very spiny with long, stiff, thick, black, horizontal spines on most of the trunk (sometimes the lowest portion of very tall palms is bare); 14" thick; self cleaning
Crownshaft: none
Spread: 12'-14'
Leaf Description: pinnate; markedly plumose; leaflets on two, to sometimes, three planes; 8'-10' long; deep green to light green; spines along dorsal and ventral rachis though usually only part way towards tip of leaf; leaflets themselves unarmed
Petiole/Leaf bases: 1' long; slightly channeled; light green; armed along ventral surface with sparse, long, dark, black, stiff, sharp spines; petiolar margins unarmed
Reproduction: monoecious
Inflorescence: 2' long; highly branched; under woody spathe; yellow flowers
Fruit: 2"; spherical; yellow to brown when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 26F
Drought Tolerance: good
Dry Heat Tolerance: good
Cool Tolerance: good
Wind Tolerance: good
Salt Tolerance: moderate
Growth Rate: slow
Soil Preference: adaptable
Light Requirement: full sun
Germination: known for its long germination of several years or more; faster if shell cracked gently and soaked well (shell extremely hard and not easy to crack, though)
Human Hazards: very spiny palms, and spines very long and very sharp- careful with falling leaves
Disease or Horticultural Problems:
Transplants?: unknown
Indoor?: likely very poor choice
Availability: rare though sometimes available through palm specialty nurseries

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 '''Common Name''': Gru Gru Palm; Macaw Palm
 </center>
-'''''Acrocomia aculeata''''' is a Queen Palm look-alike except for its shorter leaves and very spiny nature.  For those who want a tall, relatively rare palm with some hardiness, and like spiny palms, this might be a good one to try out.
+'''''Acrocomia aculeata''''' is a Queen Palm look-alike except for its shorter leaves and very spiny nature.  For those who want a tall, relatively rare palm with some hardiness, and like spiny palms, this might be a good one to try out.  Was a synonym for multiple species that have more recently separated again (such as ''Acrocomia media'' and ''Acrocomia totai'').
-Synonym: Acrocomia mexicana
+Synonym: ''Acrocomia mexicana''
+<center>
 {| colspan="2" style="background: #FCFCFC; border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" |
 | style="width: 50%; background: #f8e8df; border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" |
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 *'''Drought Tolerance''':  good
 *'''Dry Heat Tolerance''': good
+*'''Cool Tolerance''': good
 *'''Wind Tolerance''': good
 *'''Salt Tolerance''': moderate
@@ Line 32: / Line 33: @@
 *'''Soil Preference''': adaptable
 *'''Light Requirement''': full sun
-*'''Germination''': known for its long germination of several years; faster if shell cracked gently and soaked well
+*'''Germination''': known for its long germination of several years or more; faster if shell cracked gently and soaked well (shell extremely hard and not easy to crack, though)
 *'''Human Hazards''': very spiny palms, and spines very long and very sharp- careful with falling leaves
 *'''Disease or Horticultural Problems''':
@@ Line 39: / Line 40: @@
 *'''Availability''': rare though sometimes available through palm specialty nurseries
 |}
+{{#Widget:AdResBan}}
 <gallery>
 File:Acrocomia aculeata Ha.JPG|San Diego county, California
@@ Line 69: / Line 71: @@
 File:Acrocomia mexicana leaflets.JPG|leaflets
 File:Acrocomia aculeata inflorescences H.jpg|inflorescences high in tree, Huntington gardens
-File:Acrocomia leaf spathe.jpg|flower spathe used
+File:Acrocomia leaf spathe.jpg|fuzzy flower spathe showing spines near its tip
 File:Acrocomia fruits in tree.jpg|
-File:Acrocomia infructescence.jpg|
+File:Acrocomia infructescence.jpg|another shot of fallen infructescence
 File:Acrocomia fruits.JPG|fruits
 </gallery>
 [[Category: Acrocomia]]

Difference between revisions of "Acrocomia aculeata"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Latest revision as of 00:00, 31 July 2015