Trithrinax campestris, the caranday palm, is a South American palm tree native of Uruguayan and northeastern Argentine sabanas, where it shares its habitat with Copernicia alba among others and extends also to the summits of mountain ranges of Sierras de Córdoba and Sierras de San Luis. It is a very rustic palm that grows in arid, well drained, rocky soils. Its distinctive features are its compact shape, short green to grayish foliage, and trunk fully hidden by dry dead leaf bases (coat) remaining from several previous seasons.
Trithrinax campestris
Trithrinax campestris in a garden, grown as ornamental palm
Trithrinax campestris is a monocotflowering palm of relative low height (up to 6 m tall) and 20–25 cm wide stems usually covered by fibrous-spiny remains of earlier foliage which acts as a thick protective coat. Caranday leaves are about 1 m long, palmate, rounded, with a very rigid and spiny petiole.
Trithrinax campestris foliage detail
The leaflet segments are rigid, dark green to a more blue hue, with light green undersides. These are possibly the toughest leaves among Arecaceae. As habitat altitude increases the foliage becomes more grayish, this is typical of mountain carandays. Flowers compose highly branched inflorescences located at the base of the lower living leaves. These contain up to 100 white hermaphrodite flowers 10 to 12 mm wide. This palm flowers in autumn. Fruits ripen towards the end of the next summer. They consist of subspherical yellow brownish drupes, 1 to 2 cm wide, with a thin fleshy mesocarp and a fibrous endocarp. Caranday is monoecious, a feature common to the conifers but rare in angiosperms.[1]
Habitatedit
Trithrinax campestris formation at Pampa de Pocho, Argentina
Trithrinax campestris prefers well drained, sandy or rocky soils (although it is resistant to extended persistent flooding).[2] It is very resistant to drought, and -9 °C/-15 °C temperatures when not in growing season, although it tends to shed its leaves in these conditions. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms in the world, because it also grows in the mountains of Sierras de Córdoba[3] and Sierras de San Luis[citation needed]; it is known that specimens growing at those elevations tolerate special cold conditions. It has thrived as far north as the British Isles.[4] Seeds germinate quickly, but later growth is mostly slow.
These palms are naturally found in groups, formations of several individuals, or composing large caranday forests where they present strong dominance. Its main environmental threat is deforestation or natural fire, as caranday's thick dry stem coats are highly flammable.[5]
Usageedit
Leaves are rich in strong fiber, very resistant to tension. It is extracted to manufacture crafts such as hats, shoes and fans. Whole leaves are cut and used as rudimentary brushes. Fruits are not eaten, however, an alcoholic beverage is prepared locally through their fermentation. Caranday palms are also appreciated and grown worldwide as an easy to keep, cold weather and drought resistant, ornamental small palm. It is besides a good honey-producing plant[6]
Referencesedit
^Molnar, Sebastian. 2004. , internet version posted February 17, 2004
^Burkart, A. 1979. Flora ilustrada de Entre Ríos. Col. Cient. INTA VI (5). Buenos Aires.
^Rojas, A. & Saluso, J.H. 1987. Informe Climático de la Provincia de Entre Ríos. INTA EEA Paraná,Nº 14. Entre Ríos, Argentina.
^Fagúndez, G. A. y Caccavari, M. A. 2001a. Elementos de mielada en mieles de la provincia de Entre Ríos. XXVIII Jornadas Argentinas de Botánica (Santa Rosa, 2001). Bol. Soc. Argentina Bot . 36 (Supl.): 136.
External linksedit
Plantapalm
January 01, 1970
trithrinax, campestris, caranday, palm, south, american, palm, tree, native, uruguayan, northeastern, argentine, sabanas, where, shares, habitat, with, copernicia, alba, among, others, extends, also, summits, mountain, ranges, sierras, córdoba, sierras, luis, . Trithrinax campestris the caranday palm is a South American palm tree native of Uruguayan and northeastern Argentine sabanas where it shares its habitat with Copernicia alba among others and extends also to the summits of mountain ranges of Sierras de Cordoba and Sierras de San Luis It is a very rustic palm that grows in arid well drained rocky soils Its distinctive features are its compact shape short green to grayish foliage and trunk fully hidden by dry dead leaf bases coat remaining from several previous seasons Trithrinax campestris Trithrinax campestris in a garden grown as ornamental palm Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Monocots Clade Commelinids Order Arecales Family Arecaceae Genus Trithrinax Species T campestris Binomial name Trithrinax campestris Burmeist Drude amp Griseb Synonyms Copernicia campestris Contents 1 Morphology 2 Habitat 3 Usage 4 References 5 External linksMorphology editTrithrinax campestris is a monocot flowering palm of relative low height up to 6 m tall and 20 25 cm wide stems usually covered by fibrous spiny remains of earlier foliage which acts as a thick protective coat Caranday leaves are about 1 m long palmate rounded with a very rigid and spiny petiole nbsp Trithrinax campestris foliage detailThe leaflet segments are rigid dark green to a more blue hue with light green undersides These are possibly the toughest leaves among Arecaceae As habitat altitude increases the foliage becomes more grayish this is typical of mountain carandays Flowers compose highly branched inflorescences located at the base of the lower living leaves These contain up to 100 white hermaphrodite flowers 10 to 12 mm wide This palm flowers in autumn Fruits ripen towards the end of the next summer They consist of subspherical yellow brownish drupes 1 to 2 cm wide with a thin fleshy mesocarp and a fibrous endocarp Caranday is monoecious a feature common to the conifers but rare in angiosperms 1 Habitat edit nbsp Trithrinax campestris formation at Pampa de Pocho Argentina Trithrinax campestris prefers well drained sandy or rocky soils although it is resistant to extended persistent flooding 2 It is very resistant to drought and 9 C 15 C temperatures when not in growing season although it tends to shed its leaves in these conditions It is one of the most cold hardy palms in the world because it also grows in the mountains of Sierras de Cordoba 3 and Sierras de San Luis citation needed it is known that specimens growing at those elevations tolerate special cold conditions It has thrived as far north as the British Isles 4 Seeds germinate quickly but later growth is mostly slow These palms are naturally found in groups formations of several individuals or composing large caranday forests where they present strong dominance Its main environmental threat is deforestation or natural fire as caranday s thick dry stem coats are highly flammable 5 Usage editLeaves are rich in strong fiber very resistant to tension It is extracted to manufacture crafts such as hats shoes and fans Whole leaves are cut and used as rudimentary brushes Fruits are not eaten however an alcoholic beverage is prepared locally through their fermentation Caranday palms are also appreciated and grown worldwide as an easy to keep cold weather and drought resistant ornamental small palm It is besides a good honey producing plant 6 References edit Molnar Sebastian 2004 Plant Reproductive Systems internet version posted February 17 2004 Burkart A 1979 Flora ilustrada de Entre Rios Col Cient INTA VI 5 Buenos Aires Cerro Uritorco Sierra de Cordoba Argentine palm in the British Isles Rojas A amp Saluso J H 1987 Informe Climatico de la Provincia de Entre Rios INTA EEA Parana Nº 14 Entre Rios Argentina Fagundez G A y Caccavari M A 2001a Elementos de mielada en mieles de la provincia de Entre Rios XXVIII Jornadas Argentinas de Botanica Santa Rosa 2001 Bol Soc Argentina Bot 36 Supl 136 External links editScanpalm Trithrinax Plantapalm Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Trithrinax campestris amp oldid 1040990854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
