Chamaedorea cataractarum
We are very used to seeing palm trees in gardens, avenues and parks, but Did you know that there are species that live near or next to rivers, swamps or even on the coasts? These are the water palms, some of the most amazing in the entire palm tree world.
Its leaves, its trunk and its flowers are typical of these plants, but their survival strategy makes them unique. Let's get to know them.
Areca rheophytica
Image - Picssr.com
This is a species native to Asia, where it grows on the banks of rivers and streams. It is a low-rise plant (2-3 meters), which has pinnate leaves up to 60 centimeters long.
Chamaedorea cataractarum
It is an endemic species of Mexico, where it grows in long and waterfalls on the Atlantic slope, at an altitude of 300-1000 meters. It is a plant that reaches 2 meters in height and 2,5m wide, highly branched from the base. Its leaves are pinnate and measure about 1m.
Pinanga rivularis
Image - palmtalk
It is an endemic species to the Borneo rainforest, where it grows in freshwater streams. It grows to a height of 1,5 meters forming dense groups. Its leaves are pinnate and very divided.
Raphia taedigera
Image - HTBG.com
It is a native species from Nicaragua to Colombia, and in some areas of Brazil (northern area). It grows in humid forests and swamps, at an altitude of between 0 and 100 meters. Reaches a height of up to 12 meters, with a trunk between 25 and 60cm in diameter crowned by leaves of up to 5 meters.
Ravenea musicalis
Image - Pacsoa.org.au
It is an endemic species of southern Madagascar that grows in freshwater streams. It can reach 8 meters in height, with a solitary trunk 30-40cm in diameter crowned by up to 16 pinnate leaves up to 1,8 meters long.
Which of them did you like the most?