Trithrinax brasiliensis & acanthacoma

[Nigel]

PACSOA has been updated.

Trithrinax acanthacoma

Trithrinax brasiliensis

I think the old photo of fruit on the Trithrinax brasiliensis page is of an acathacoma.

[PalmGuyWC]

Nigel,

On your travels in S. America, I see you did not mention Trithrinax biflabellata, but I presume that's because you weren't in the areas where it grows.  I was just reviewing PACSOS's information and pictures on Trithrinax and fig #1 of "Trithrinax biflabellata in Argentina" and the one I have growing in my garden looks identical. In fact they are about the same size.

Mine has taken temps. down to 23 F (-5C) and has shown absolutely no foliage damage, and in fact it continues to grow slowly in the winter. I suspect it could take much lower temps.

I notice most of the descriptions describe Trithrinax growing in sandy well drained soil, but this could be misleading to people who want to grow them. Mine are all growing in adobe clay and they have been thriving for many years. Trithrinax are described as being very primative palms, and maybe the reason they are still around is because they are so durable. They will take cold, heat, drought and flood..........and they still do well.

Dick

[merrill]

Hi, Nigel:

Apparently, according to Index Kewensis, T, acanthacoma [1878] and T. braziliensis [1837] are now combined by Kew.  I've had a couple of experiences that showed greater coldhardiness in acanthacoma.  It would be wonderful if botanists didn't need continuous lumping and splitting to get publication points!

merrill

[Charles Wychgel]

Nice one Nigel, very clearly written.

Now I have to change the labels on my palms  

I add some pix of the leaftips which are in my case (palms not so big) very distinct.

Trithrinax acanthocoma leaftips

[Charles Wychgel]

Trithrinax brasiliensis leaftips

[Nigel]

Charles, yes those leaves correspond perfectly.

I am guessing that the spines on your trunk re second pic are also far less ferocious.

Merrill, re the lumping, I mailed about this with Dr Dransfield and he says Henderson is going to send somebody to review ,because it appears it may have been done hastily.

[merrill]

Hi, Nigel:

That is good!

[Rafael]

Today i went to a nursery where i found a mature trithrinax brasilensis, then i got some seeds, almost fresh.

I was wondering if it was a good idea, because i already have a trithrinax acanthocoma, juvenille.

But it seems they are two differente species indeed.

So, i am glad i caught those seeds...

[edbrown_III]

I have a Trithrinax-- I grew from a 3 gallon I got from Ted Waas so many years ago --- planted out in 87 --- it survived the 89 freeze and has been producing seeds for almost a decade. I think I have a volunteer (but dont want to dig around to verifiy) it drops loads of seeds every year.

I talked to Henderson on one of the amazon tours --- you are on a boat so you pretty much have them captive > I asked him how it feels to be ambushed by hobbiests on his book --- He grinned . the book has a introductory chapter that gives his criteria for a species ( hes a clumper tho) Species is a "man made" concept based upon animals especially mammals tighter genetics --- Bear in mind when he wrote the book he had to make sense out of all the Amazonian species of Batris Geonoma , Astrocaryum, Scheelia Attalea etc. The psychology it takes to organise this lends its self to a "clumper ". A splitter never would have finished the book!

Best regards

Ed

[realarch]

Boy, makes me think mine may be a variant, a cross, or maybe just environmental. I acquired this as a Trithrinax

acanthacoma many years ago and after languishing in a pot for years, I finally planted it about 10 years ago.

There are a few leaf tips that are split, but the majority are very sharp single tip pinnae. The trunk spines are long

and deadly.

Plans are to move the palm to Matt's, (freaky palm guy), garden hopefully this year.