Chamaedorea geonomiformis

[PalmGuyWC]

Chamaedorea geonomiformis is a very attractive small palm. It's easy to grow and several will fit into a container. There are several different forms, depending on where they are collected. It's often confussed with C. tenella and some think it's one and the same. The two so called species readily cross with each other.

Some years back I observed an unusual seeding habit. I think I wrote an article for Principes on this, but for those of you who don''t have back issues, here it is again. I hand pollinated mine to get as many seeds as possible. I was sure that I touched every female flower with pollen at anthesis, yet I noticed that only a part of the inflorescence would grow fruit. The other flowers would not abort, which would happen soon if they had not been polinated.

The following flowering season, a year later, I noticed the dormant flowers would suddenly start growing and produce seeds. Others would remain dormant, but sporadicaly start to grow. I mentioned this to Dr. Hall Moore who was the leading taxonomist of palms at that time. He said he had never heard of this phenominom before. I asked him if there was a scientific term for this unusual happening, and he mentioned that Kangaroos usually have two joeys, but one is a back up and if the first dies, the other takes over. He said this was called embryonic diapause, so that's the name he gave for this phenominom. He speculated that the palms would produce seeds through out the year, and when climatic condidtions were just right the seeds woud germinate.

Are any of you growing Cham. geonomiformis? It's easy to grow and likes a lot of shade. It's as easy to grow inside as Cham. metallica. There are pictures and descriptions in PACSOA.

Dick

[Mike4284m]

I'm growing it but haven't had flowers yet. I think Jeff S has some seeding ones, which if he does I'm sure he'll comment on.

[PalmGuyWC]

It seems like bigger is better these days, and not many people are growing Chamaedoreas. I think the Dypsis craze has taken over and fewer Chams. are being grown in collections. A lot of the Chams. are eaiser to grow than the smaller growing Dypsis, and will take cooler tempratures. Cham. geonomiformis was never very common, and C. tenella is even more rare. C. tenella is a smaller palm and more difficult to grow. I think it's more tropical and requires higher humidity than C. Geo.

Dick

[edbrown_III]

Dick,

I am growing this palm here in Jax. Its prbly too cold to grow them out but I put all the Chams in the green house in the winter. THis is the time of year I really enjoy thm and can follow progress. Heres a few a few photos of some. I some set a few seeds but these were lost in the green house.

Much obliged for your postings on this as I really enjoy this palm and your commentary.

Best regards,

Ed

[edbrown_III]

Heres a nother shot of it.

[Jeff Searle]

I'm growing it but haven't had flowers yet. I think Jeff S has some seeding ones, which if he does I'm sure he'll comment on.

Dick,

Thats pretty interesting and never heard it myself. For some reason, I have tried growing C. geo. before but seem to have problems with them. But like Mike mentioned, I do have a small population of C. tenella's growing in my yard and do fine. I even have hand pollinated them and collect a few seed of the them. I still don't know what to believe on if C. tenella and C. geonomiformis are one in the same.

But, I agree with you, not many of the Chamaedorea's are being grown much it seems like these days. I find the genus very interesting and try to grow as many as I can find.

Thanks,

Jeff

[tjwalters]

I'm not growing Chamaedorea geonomiformis (nor C. tenella), but am growing the following (in pots, of course):

C. adscendens (from seed, now sets seed)

C. arenbergiana (from seed)

C. cataractarum (from seed)

C. elegans

C. ernesti-augusti (from seed)

C. metallica (from seed, now currently setting seed)

C. plumosa (from seed)

C. radicalis (from seed, now sets seed)

C. seifritzii

C. tepejilote (from seed, now sets seed)

Hopefully I will soon have C. tenerrima (from seed).