Rare Dwarf Syagrus

[Gileno Machado]

Three weeks ago I visited the beautiful Palm collection of Dr. Harri Lorenzi in São Paulo State (near Campinas). He is a famous researcher and the writer of "Palmeiras Brasileiras e exóticas cultivadas", the best Encyclopedia of our native palms, among several other plant related books.

Here are the pictures of some of the amazing rare small Syagrus he has been collecting from all over the Country, many of them listed among the threatned species:

[Gileno Machado]

The beautiful bluish Syagrus graminifolia

[Gileno Machado]

Another view of S. graminifolia

[Gileno Machado]

Once thought to be extinct, recently rediscovered in habitat: Syagrus lilliputiana

[Gileno Machado]

Yes, this is an adult palm, fruiting in cultivation...less than 40 cm tall.

[Gileno Machado]

Ultra rare species, Syagrus pleioclada, from Minas Gerais State. This small palm grows to a max of 1 meter tall in habitat, rocky hilly and dry environment.

[BS Man about Palms]

Beautiful examples!

[Gileno Machado]

another blue chip: Syagrus microphylla, from Bahia State. This specimen is already fruiting.

[Gileno Machado]

Not even Dr. Larry Noblick, from Montgomery Botanical gardens, could resist a closer look at this one:

[Gileno Machado]

Syagrus glaucescens, from Minas Gerais, endemic to the Cadeia do Espinhaço mountains:

[FossilNypa]

Hi Gileno,

Thanks for sharing the photos, is amazing to see how small can some palms be!

BTW - I found in Kew's monocot checklist that S. lilliputiana is listed as a synonym of S. graminifolia, however in the photos they look very different to be synonyms.

[Gileno Machado]

Not a rare species, but what a nice grown up clump of adult Syagrus vagans, from the central Bahia State, called Ariri as a common local name:

[Gileno Machado]

Hi Gileno,

Thanks for sharing the photos, is amazing to see how small can some palms be!

BTW - I found in Kew's monocot checklist that S. lilliputiana is listed as a synonym of S. graminifolia, however in the photos they look very different to be synonyms.

Hi Luis Diego,

According to my Brazilian books, S. graminifolia is quite another species, native to Cerrado habitat, above 500 m altitude in central Brazil while S. lilliputiana was found in the extreme west region of Central-West, in Mato Grosso do Sul State, near the border with Paraguay, in sandy lowland habitat.

Another small species, recently described: Syagrus evansiana:

[Gileno Machado]

Syagrus petraea, native from rocky habitat:

[Gileno Machado]

Another Syagrus petraea, sorry for the bad picture:

[FossilNypa]

Thanks for the info.

Regards,

Luis Diego.

[Gileno Machado]

Now this is a new species, not described yet, called coco-de-quarta anão, recently found in a remote habitat in Espírito Santo State:

Syagrus sp nov 2:

[Gileno Machado]

I was also lucky to obtain seedlings from this new species when the first seeds came from habitat sometime ago. Mine are a little bigger than Lorenzi`s but still in the strap leaf stage.

[Gileno Machado]

Pause to admire the gorgeous Attalea funifera, from Ilheus, BA.

[edbrown_III]

Great photos Gileno, some of my favorite palms!--

Brasil is a great country to grow palms in so many native species !

Best wishes,

Ed Brown

[Gileno Machado]

The rare small Syagrus harleyi, recently transplanted, from Chapada Diamantina, Bahia State:

[Gileno Machado]

...I`ll have to start another thread for the other palm species...the gardens cover a wide area of ground:

[Gileno Machado]

Syagrus cocoides juvenile specimen. This is a common species from central Brazil, native to pre-amazonic States:

[Gileno Machado]

Now, how about a private tour among the secrets of Lorenzi`s shadehouse, with Larry Noblick and other local palm friends...

[Gileno Machado]

This is one of the newly found species in habitat, from South Bahia:

[Gileno Machado]

...It seems that a new palm species is born...

[Gileno Machado]

a bunch of other newbies, arrived from habitat:

[Gileno Machado]

Pay attention to this Lytocaryum here too...This is probably the first picture of this new species ever shown. I`ve heard from my friend Alex from South Bahia (who first collected this palm) that Noblick and Lorenzi have seen it again in habitat last week and that they`ve realized that this species from Atlantic forest habitat is actually something new, so a third Lytocaryum species will soon be described and published:

[Gileno Machado]

Now this is the Brazilian variety of Syagrus comosa, from extreme western Acre State, in Amazonia:

[Gileno Machado]

a splendid cultivated Polyandrococos caudescens:

[Gileno Machado]

Syagrus schizoplylla in full sun:

[Gileno Machado]

Sorry I can`t remember this species (or read the tag), fruiting and less than 30 cm tall:

[Gileno Machado]

...

[Gileno Machado]

Last one for tonight:

Thanks Dr. Noblick, Dr. Harri Lorenzi and Liana.

[John in Andalucia]

Fantastic tour, Gileno. It's such a delight to have photos such as yours for all to see, and seeing a new species so unexpectedly, makes me glad I joined the IPS.

[paulgila]

thanks,gileno,for a wonderful look at some amazing syagrus species(& more!).

[Mark Heath]

Thanks Gileno,

I love the Syagrus, it's my favorite genus! Thanks for the pic of the S.Glauscence (sorry for the spelling)! I have about 10 of them and they're 3-5gallon size. I now know what they'll look like in a few years! I also loved the Syagrus Comosa pic. I have bought hundreds of Comosa seeds from RPS and i had zero germination!! I sure would like to get my hands on viable Syagrus Comosa seeds!!

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Hi Gileno,

Thanks for showing us those beautiful

photo's, love them.

Regards Mikey

[Alberto]

Obridado Gileno!!!

I also want to see Lorenzi´s collection someday. He has so many interesting plants!!!

[Tala]

bravo Gileno bravo. What a wonderful pilgrimage thru the genus, many of which I have never seen growing here. In cen. Fl. most of the subterranean Syagrus do not hold well to our cold freezes/frosts. I have a small vagans and an even smaller glausescens that have managed to hang in there for a few yrs.

The pic of comosa is an eye opener, this is a palm that was often "sold" in the past in Fl. but rarely ever has the true comosa been available from anyone. Most of these turned out to be hybrids w/ coronata, others. The true comosa is (with few exceptions) a small palm, and is extremely rare outside of habitat.

Lastly have a few requests: do you have any good pictures (habitat or otherwise) of smithii (very large & tasty fruits)? Or ruschiana (not a dwarf), but a clumping sp. that often fools the eye into seeing something else? Would be much obliged, and thanks again for the fantastic photos.