Aiphanes horrida

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Jkwinston
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Aiphanes horrida

#1

Post by Jkwinston »

In a quick research of the the names, I have found that Aiphanes aculeata is a synonym of the more popular A horrida. Also, there are about 26 species covering the Caribbean and South America. The big surprise to me, is this palm is native to my home country, Trinidad and Tobago. Jkw
Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo
Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo
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Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo
Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo
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Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo
Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo
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Geoff
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Re: Aiphanes horrida

#2

Post by Geoff »

Hawaii
Hawaii
Aiphanes horrida Sul.jpg (130.56 KiB) Viewed 3878 times
Hawaii
Hawaii
Aiphanes horrida zoo.jpg (158.89 KiB) Viewed 3878 times
California
California
Aiphanes horrida again Ha.jpg (156.04 KiB) Viewed 3878 times
California
California
Aiphanes horrida side view.jpg (134.44 KiB) Viewed 3878 times
This is probably the most common Aiphaenes in cultivation.. I always knew it by its A aculeata or caryotifolia names, but those appear to be an old ones, now. Probably the main reason this one is so common is it is tall, stately and attractive and native to so many Central and South American countries (has a really wide native range). IT is also one of the few Caribbean Aiphaenes. This is a solitary, trunking palm up to 30' tall with some of the most vicious spines in all the palm world. I have grown this palm in my greenhouse and it easily passes through shirt, pants, gloves etc... not a safe plant to be around. But it has very ornamental leaves- the long, arching, pinnate leaves with wide, almost 'fishtail-like' leaflets so typical of the genus. Trunks are ringed and heavily armed with jet black long, thin needles. Leaves are armed as well. The entire plant is spines! This is a tropical species, but with some surprising cold hardiness, and many growers in California have managed to get this one to adulthood and looking pretty good at the same time. Needs some wind protection, particularly from arid winds. Needs a lot of water. Probably tolerates temps down to 28F, but with some damage... prefers frost free climates, but handles near freezing temps well.
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