Aiphanese horrida

#1

This is an intensely spiny palm from South America (where it seems most of all the spiny palms starting with the letter 'a' come from) with long, black, thin spines that penetrate any and all clothing effortlessly... probably the worst of all the palms to have to handle. Despite its tropical origins, some have grown this palm to maturity in California. It has very attractive triangular leaves (almost fishtail shaped, only wavy, too) that are leathery and deep green... each leaflet is armed with spines, though. Has several synonyms many plants are still sold under: A aculeata and A caryotifolia. Probably this is the hardiest of all the Aiphanese, must which are strictly tropical in their needs.