PalmsNorth.com

Some time ago, everybody helped ID some purchases a few months ago.
Before I get to the problem, here are the pics:

Spindle Palm


Triangle Palm


OK, now...I have THREE palms (two of which I THOUGHT were Triangles, but here's the new fronds elongating:
Did I screw up the following ID?

Spingle Palm


Triangle ?? Didn't think the red colour indicated a Triangle


Triangle ?? New frond is going "off" at 45 degrees!


And of course, the MYSTERY PALM is still a MYSTERY palm. but it's growing.


I'll put those tags on right away once they're ID'd. Thanks.
Barb

I have a Triangle Palm and it HAS red leaves for a while, then they turn green.
That first one of the two is DEFINATLEY a Triangle, the second, I would need to see the trunk.

Wes, yes that's what Steve said some time ago about his Triangle.
Nice reddish stem as it's pushing a new frond.

But that second from last pic...with the frond's stem coming out at such a strange angle, it doesn't resemble the other one
EXCEPT (when I look closely) there is a bit of red.
Here's a somewhat fuzzy shot of trunk:



Barb

DEFINATLEY YES, it's a triangle.
Looks like a REALLY nice one too.

OK thanks, so Spindle, Triangle, Triangle, then Mystery Palm.
Doing labels right away so I don't forget again.

It IS nice, robust stem, doesn't need a lot of width-space.
I like these including the Spindle.
Barb

Barb, can you send more photos of your mystery palm? I have a couple ideas of what it might be...

Jody

Hi Jody,
I think the mystery palm was ID'd before you joined the forum.
We couldn't reach concensus, so I emailed Martin Gibbons.
He believes it's a Licuala grandis.
I was thrilled, and hope you feel it's accurate.




Pics below: Now a NEW mystery palm#2 (found half-dead on a dusty back shelf...best place to look for bargooons!)
Folks had offered it might be a Triangle. But nothing about this palm, shown in the middle of pic, resembles my Triangles.



Trunk detail of those three, left to right:






Here's an older Triangle (my third).



Thanks for your offer, Jody!
Barb

lucky1 wrote:He believes it's a Licuala grandis.

Yes, I agree. The browning on the leaves is probably due to a lack of humidity.

lucky1 wrote:Now a NEW mystery palm#2 (found half-dead on a dusty back shelf...best place to look for bargooons!)
Folks had offered it might be a Triangle. But nothing about this palm, shown in the middle of pic, resembles my Triangles.

Your new mystery palm is a bottle palm, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis.

All of these are subtropical to tropical palms, as you probably know.

Jody

Jody, you've absolutely made my day...no, the whole week!
I've always wanted a Bottle Palm!
Yippeee...

And I'm thrilled you agree with the L.grandis ID.
Subsequent to MG's identification, I researched its habitat and learned about the high humidity need.
Desperate to have a clean new spear, here was my temporary solution:



The dry cleaner's bag was a little too ugly in the house, so I placed it under the Cataractarum and Reed Palms which are misted three times a day, and where it receives no sun. Presto, third leaf is coming up relatively unmarked.

Off to do some proper labelling, which'll be an improvement over the current "Tropical Foliage".
Jody, I'm very grateful.
Barb

Jody, do Bottle palms have the yellow stripe on the back of the stem? I have never seen a young bottle palm, just wondering. In Barb's pic I can see a yellow stripe like the one on my spindle palms.

Cali-wanna-b wrote:Jody, do Bottle palms have the yellow stripe on the back of the stem? I have never seen a young bottle palm, just wondering. In Barb's pic I can see a yellow stripe like the one on my spindle palms.

As you probably know, both species are in the genus Hyophorbe. They both can have the lighter-colored stripe on the bottom of the petiole, although spindles are usually much more pronounced and they all tend to lose this with age. As seedlings, it is sometimes difficult to tell them apart, but Barb's plant looks more like a bottle than a spindle at this point. There are also bottle/spindle hybrids here in Florida that are distinctive when they get larger but that make identifying them when small difficult at best.

Jody

Here's a frond of my Spindle leaning over the little Hyophorbe:
Leaf detail seems finer, sharper on a Spindle.



Spindle pushes a new leaf in a straighter fashion, than the next pic:



Ages differ so trunk comparisons are probably iffy:


Barb
PS--I rescued the Bottle palm, half dead, dusty, fallen over. I doubt it'll look its best for a while.

Jody, thanks for the info. I learned something new.

Barb if you keep this up I am going to have to make you a member of the Palm Rescue League...

Barb, all of the characteristics that you have pointed out between your spindle palm (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii) and your bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) are typical. Based on these new photos and your descriptions, I am convinced that the smaller one is a bottle palm.

Jody

Super! Delighted with the confirmation.

I had forgotten the Spindle is also a Hyophorbe , thanks, Jody, for the gentle reminder.

Craig, I'll start up the truck...
Barb