Lateral growth of palms

[mpiodi]

I learnt that palms don’t show subsequent lateral growth like other trees. They develop first the final thickness (diameter) of their stem before they begin to grow vertically. I observe this phenomenon perfectly at my numerous Elais guineensis and others like Borassus, Phoenix, Livistona, Sabal etc.

However, I have the impression that this rule is not valid for my Roystonea oleracea (first pic: in my yard) which begins already to grow in height though the stem is still very slim. And as I know what is to expect from a mature tree of this species (second pic: the tree where the seeds came from - Lake Victoria/Uganda), I am wondering whether my palm shows any anomaly.

Or is the quoted rule not valid for all palm trees?

As I am not very fluent in morphological terms I hope nevertheless that you’ll understand my question.

Mpiodi

[Kumar]

I learnt that palms dont show subsequent lateral growth like other trees. They develop first the final thickness (diameter) of their stem before they begin to grow vertically. I observe this phenomenon perfectly at my numerous Elais guineensis and others like Borassus, Phoenix, Livistona, Sabal etc.

However, I have the impression that this rule is not valid for my Roystonea oleracea (first pic: in my yard) which begins already to grow in height though the stem is still very slim. And as I know what is to expect from a mature tree of this species (second pic: the tree where the seeds came from - Lake Victoria/Uganda), I am wondering whether my palm shows any anomaly.

Or is the quoted rule not valid for all palm trees?

As I am not very fluent in morphological terms I hope nevertheless that youll understand my question.

Mpiodi

Hi - The propositions put forth by you are a bit of a mixed bag. Palms don't demonstrate true secondary growth like woody trees. The latter keep adding layers of wood over time and the trunk thickens with age, with the outermost layer being the most recent. In some palms (and a few other monocots) though, there is thickening of the trunk by what is called 'anamalous' or false secondary growth. unlike woody trees, the increase in trunk girth is caused by an expansion of vascular tissue inside the trunk - so the the outer layer is pushed further and further out (to a degree). The process though begins inside so the outermost layer, unlike woody trees is the oldest layer and discolouration or breaks in the trunk of young palms will never go away, even of their girth increases. Therefore it's not true that as a rule palms first develop the final thickness before vertical growth.

I am attaching photos showing my Roystonea in 2002 and in 2009. See the increase in trunk diameter

Here's the pair in 2002. The one on the left can be difficult to make out.

And this is what they look like now...

Edited May 31, 2010 by Kumar83

[DoomsDave]

mpiodi:

Your observations are spot on!

Some palms do indeed get wide before they get tall, others do both at once.

Here are a few that get wide first, in my observations: Jubes, Syagrus, Dypsis, Caryota, Chambeyronea, Phoenix, Chamadorea, Howea, Hedyscepe, Acrocomia, Arenga, Veitchia, Wallicia, Ravenea, Bizzies (buzz-buzzed?) and most others.

The second group includes:

Roystonea, Gaussia, and ???

[mpiodi]

Hi - The propositions put forth by you are a bit of a mixed bag. Palms don't demonstrate true secondary growth like woody trees. The latter keep adding layers of wood over time and the trunk thickens with age, with the outermost layer being the most recent. In some palms (and a few other monocots) though, there is thickening of the trunk by what is called 'anamalous' or false secondary growth. unlike woody trees, the increase in trunk girth is caused by an expansion of vascular tissue inside the trunk - so the the outer layer is pushed further and further out (to a degree). The process though begins inside so the outermost layer, unlike woody trees is the oldest layer and discolouration or breaks in the trunk of young palms will never go away, even of their girth increases. Therefore it's not true that as a rule palms first develop the final thickness before vertical growth.

I am attaching photos showing my Roystonea in 2002 and in 2009. See the increase in trunk diameter

Here's the pair in 2002. The one on the left can be difficult to make out.

And this is what they look like now...

[mpiodi]

mpiodi:

Your observations are spot on!

Some palms do indeed get wide before they get tall, others do both at once.

Here are a few that get wide first, in my observations: Jubes, Syagrus, Dypsis, Caryota, Chambeyronea, Phoenix, Chamadorea, Howea, Hedyscepe, Acrocomia, Arenga, Veitchia, Wallicia, Ravenea, Bizzies (buzz-buzzed?) and most others.

The second group includes:

Roystonea, Gaussia, and ???

Thanks to you, Dave, too. Your list leads me to a further question. It's my first time I am growing one which was identified as Chambeyronea macrocarpa. But it is already almost 2 m tall and has a stem like a broom-stick. Does this mean that the ID is wrong or what?

Beste Grüße

Mpiodi

[MattyB]

Mpiodi,

If your plant is 2m tall and has clean woody trunk the size of a broom stick, then it's either:

1. not Chambeyronia

2. been severely stunted from prolonged pot culture

3. you have very large broom sticks in Africa

Could it be a Chamaedorea possibly?

[garrin]

Another common cause for palm trunks expanding laterally near or at the base is the growth of rings of new roots which commonly begin beneath the bottom-most area of "bark", pushing out more and more. Usually these roots will emerge into the surface of the ground just below. After this, cosecutive attempts are made by the plant to grow additional rings of new roots until they grow out into air which dessicates them and stops this process. Some palms have a very predominant swelling at the base from this process -- think Syagrus amara, Roystonea, Wodyetia, and Dypsis lastelliana, to name a few.

mpiodi:

Your observations are spot on!

Some palms do indeed get wide before they get tall, others do both at once.

Here are a few that get wide first, in my observations: Jubes, Syagrus, Dypsis, Caryota, Chambeyronea, Phoenix, Chamadorea, Howea, Hedyscepe, Acrocomia, Arenga, Veitchia, Wallicia, Ravenea, Bizzies (buzz-buzzed?) and most others.

The second group includes:

Roystonea, Gaussia, and ???

[MattyB]

I'm not completely sure Mpiodi's palm is Roystonea. Why aren't the rings/scars white?

[DoomsDave]

mpiodi:

Your observations are spot on!

Some palms do indeed get wide before they get tall, others do both at once.

Here are a few that get wide first, in my observations: Jubes, Syagrus, Dypsis, Caryota, Chambeyronea, Phoenix, Chamadorea, Howea, Hedyscepe, Acrocomia, Arenga, Veitchia, Wallicia, Ravenea, Bizzies (buzz-buzzed?) and most others.

The second group includes:

Roystonea, Gaussia, and ???

Thanks to you, Dave, too. Your list leads me to a further question. It's my first time I am growing one which was identified as Chambeyronea macrocarpa. But it is already almost 2 m tall and has a stem like a broom-stick. Does this mean that the ID is wrong or what?

Beste Grüße

Mpiodi

Hmm.

Guten tag!

If your Chambeyronea is as tall as you say, with a trunk that's about 2-3 cm in diameter, I think it is something else, unless you're talking about a massively thick broomstick . . .

Geben mir eine Photo, bitte?

[mpiodi]

Mpiodi,

If your plant is 2m tall and has clean woody trunk the size of a broom stick, then it's either:

1. not Chambeyronia

2. been severely stunted from prolonged pot culture

3. you have very large broom sticks in Africa

Could it be a Chamaedorea possibly?

Hi Matty and Dave

I'll post tomorrow some pics of the palm in question, ok.

In any case, I didn't compare the stem of my "Chambeyronia" with a broom stick because of the length but because of the girth.

And congolese brooms are made with leaves of Elais guineensis and have no stick at all

[mpiodi]

[Kumar]

Thanks a lot, Kumar, for all detailed explanations! So, the rule I quoted that palms first develop the final tickness before vertical growth is only valid for certain species, Dave said for the most of them. Would be interesting for me whether there exists any (complete?) list, as Dave already tried, of palms (apart from Roystonea and Gaussia) which doesn't follow this rule. What's about Corypha, Pritchardia, Trachycarpus, Copernicia, for instance?

Regards

Mpiodi

In a way, all species of palm exhibit this sort of secondary growth. Even species that seem never to increase in girth after shooting up (eg. Areca, Carpentaria) do pass through a phase when they form their skinny trunks as seedlings. Even that involves the same increase in vascular tissue pushing out the trunk till it reaches its final diameter. I doubt whether there is any classification of the sort you mention though. Many species have a tendency to increase their girth as a result of external factors such as stress, availability of nutrients, physical constraints, etc. and specimens of a species vary widely. For instance, my second R. regia has a slender trunk that has not bulged in the upper portions in characteristic manner (unlike it's twin). I've also seen Cocos and Phoenix specimens with uncharacteristic lateral growth, even though these are species that typically form their 'final' girth first.

[mpiodi]

I'm not completely sure Mpiodi's palm is Roystonea. Why aren't the rings/scars white?

Any other guess, Matty?

[Kumar]

I'm not completely sure Mpiodi's palm is Roystonea. Why aren't the rings/scars white?

Any other guess, Matty?

I quite certain it's Roystonea - particularly from the arrangement of the leaf bases. As for the leaf scars - from my experience, the scars fade gradually over time and in a year or so, they are the same colour as the rest of the stem.

[MattyB]

This is most likely a Ptychosperma, definitely not Chambeyronia.

[mpiodi]

This is most likely a Ptychosperma, definitely not Chambeyronia.

Surprise! I bought it as Chambeyronia macrocarpa in the palm nursery of the botanical garden of Kisantu.

Which Ptychosperma shows red new emerging leaves?

[MattyB]

Several of them do. I'm not familiar with them enough to tell which one it is.

[mcwolf]

Hi Wolfgang, (is Mpiodi your tribal name?)

Long time no see. Your palms really look healthy and strong. This Roystonea O. is a beauty. It must have something to do with your climate that most of your palms seem to thrive upwards. In our area most palms grow rather slow but look much thicker than anywhere else. I guess it must have something to do with this freaking wind in the Cape.

Matty is right. This red leaf palm can't be a chamby since it's leaflets look somehow fishy.

In one of your other posts I wondered if I recognized a washy in a pot. Is this a common palm in Kinshasa or truly exotic?

Cheers,

Wolfgang

[mpiodi]

Several of them do. I'm not familiar with them enough to tell which one it is.

Maybe Dave will help me ?