Difference between revisions of "Acrocomia crispa"

Latest revision as of 16:20, 22 September 2016

Pronunciation: ak-row-COE-mee-uh KRISP-uh

Common Name: Cuban Belly Palm

Acrocomia crispa has been known for many years as Gastrococos crispa, but the got lumped into Acrocomia recently. This Cuban palm is somewhat marginal, but several have grown this palm fairly well and at least one trunking palm exists in California. In nature this spiny palm develops a large swollen area mid trunk, but so far it does not seem to do that in California. Even the leaves have spines on this plant, but with age the trunk begins to lose some of its thorniness.

Appearance and Biology

Habit: solitary with a crown of 8-14 spiny feather leaves
Height: 15' estimate
Trunk: single; 6"-12"; grayish tan with subtle rings; sharp, stiff, vertically oriented black spines dense near top but becoming sparse with age (mature palms in the tropics are spineless on the trunk)
Crownshaft: 18" tall; same diameter or even a bit less than diameter of trunk; incomplete; yellow-green; spiny with 1"-2" vertical, black, sharp, stiff spines
Spread: 7'-10'
Leaf Description: pinnate; 4'-6' long; leaves nearly flat, particularly in younger palms, become a bit more plumose with age; leaflets form a slight 'V' relative to the rachis; lime green to medium green; 1', stiff, sharp, pale, vertically oriented spines on leaves dorsal surface, seemingly random in location, but most near or on leaflet midrib
Petiole/Leaf bases: petiole basically nonexistent with leaflets erupting from rachis at level of crownshaft top
Reproduction: monoecious
Inflorescence: from within crown; yellow-orange flowers
Fruit: orange fruits when ripe

Horticultural Characteristics

Minimum Temp: 30F
Drought Tolerance: poor
Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate
Wind Tolerance: moderate
Salt Tolerance: unknown
Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age (in California)
Soil Preference: prefers alkaline soils, but seems pretty adaptable
Light Requirement: partial to full sun
Human Hazards: spiny palm!
Disease or Horticultural Problems: possible nutritional problems in acidic soils
Transplants?: unknown
Indoor?: seems a very poor choice
Availability: very rare, but occasionally shows up on palm specialty plant lists

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 File:Gastrococos crispa 1.JPG|San Diego county
 File:Gastrococos crispa again stil.jpg|San Diego county
+File:Acrocomia crispas tall and belly Fairchild.jpg|mature palms, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Miami, Florida
+File:Acrocomia crispa very tall and belly Fairchild.jpg|Fairchild Tropical Gardens
 File:GASTROCOCOS NN.jpg|mature palm in Thailand, Nong Nooch Tropical gardens
 File:Gastrococos Montgomery.jpg|Miami, Florida, Montgomery Foundation
 File:Gastrococos crispa trunk Ha.JPG|trunk in California
 File:Gastrococos velez.JPG|juvenile in Orange County, California
+File:Acrocomia crispa crown Fairchild.jpg|crown of palm in Miami
 File:Gastrococos leaf velez better.JPG|leaf in California
 File:Gastrococos leaf.JPG|leaf on juvenile palm
 File:Gastrococos seedling NN.jpg|immature palm in Nong Nooch gardens, Thailand
 File:Gastrococos crispa Leu.jpg|juvenile in Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida
+File:Acrocomia crispa infructescence Fairchild.jpg|infructescence in Miami
+File:Acrocomia crispa seedlings under trees Fairchild.jpg|seedlings below mature palm, Fairchild gardens
 </gallery>
 [[Category: Acrocomia]]

Difference between revisions of "Acrocomia crispa"

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Latest revision as of 16:20, 22 September 2016