Brahea armata
| Brahea armata | |
|---|---|
| Brahea armata growing near Cataviña, Baja California, Mexico | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Tribe: | Trachycarpeae |
| Genus: | Brahea |
| Species: | B. armata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Brahea armata | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Brahea armata, commonly known as the blue fan palm, blue hesper palm or Mexican blue palm[4], is a flowering plant in the family Arecaceae, native to Baja California, Mexico. Outside its natural range, it is often planted as an ornamental, valued for its striking grey-blue fronds.
Description
The blue fan palm grows to a height of 15 metres (49 ft),[5] with a stout trunk. Its distinctly bluish leaves are 1–2 metres (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) wide, with 1-metre (3 ft 3 in) long petioles. The leaves are persistent in nature, forming a shag around the trunk; in cultivation they are typically burned or cut off. The inflorescences extend out beyond the crown, reaching 5 metres (16 ft) in length. The flowers themselves are small, appearing in February and March, while the fruits are 18–24 millimetres (0.71–0.94 in) in length, brown and with a generally ovoid to globose shape.
Taxonomy
Distribution and habitat
This species is endemic to the Mexican state of Baja California, distributed from just 8 miles south of the international border near the Jacumba Mountains, to the central desert and Isla Angel de la Guarda. Plants growing in the Sierra de San Francisco in Baja California Sur may be of a different species.[6] It is locally common in arroyos and canyon bottoms, and has been observed growing in rock crevices at higher elevations. It is sometimes found with Washingtonia filifera var. filifera or Washingtonia filifera var. robusta.
Ecology
Uses
Brahea armata has an attractive appearance, especially when young, and is commonly available at nurseries in the American southwest and in warm temperate locations elsewhere. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7] It is drought tolerant (although occasional deep irrigation is recommended), can handle both partial shade and full sun, and temperatures down to −10 °C (14 °F). It is found under a variety of names, including "Mexican blue palm", "blue hesper palm", "big blue hesper palm", "blue fan palm", "sweet brahea", and "palma blanca".
The Cocopah people ate the seeds after roasting them.
- Cultivated plants
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Mature pair of Brahea armata, Phoenix AZ
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Brahea armata setting seed
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Group planting of Brahea armata, Phoenix, AZ
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Juvenile pair of Brahea armata
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Brahea armata near PUCP
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Trunk
References
- ^ H.E. Moore Baileya 19(4): 168 1975
- ^ Becc. Webbia 2: 138–140 1907
- ^ I.M. Johnst. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 4, 12: 993 1924
- ^ Pérez-Alquicira, Jessica; V. Wehncke, Elisabet; A. García-Loza, Gustavo; C. Carstens, Bryan; A. Domínguez, César; Pérez-Ishiwara, Rubén; E. Molina-Freaner, Francisco; del Pilar Zamora-Tavare, María; Rico, Yessica; Cabrera-Toledo, Dánae; Vargas-Ponce, Ofelia; Rodríguez, Aarón; Ezcurra, Exequiel (11 March 2023). "Geographic isolation and long-distance gene flow influence the genetic structure of the blue fan palm Brahea armata (Arecaceae)". Springer Nature.
- ^ "Blaue Hesperidenpalme (Brahea Armata)" (in German). 28 October 2020.
- ^ Rebman, J. P.; Gibson, J.; Rich, K. (2016). "Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Baja California, Mexico" (PDF). San Diego Society of Natural History. 45: 274.
- ^ "Brahea armata". RHS Plantfinder. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
Further reading
- Raymond M. Turner, Janice E. Bowers, and Tony L. Burgess, Sonoran Desert Plants: an Ecological Atlas (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1995) pp. 115–116