Geonoma

Plant Characteristics

Origin:	✈	?

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water:	◍	?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.

Scientific Names

Read about Geonoma in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Geonoma (Wittstein gives this interesting explanation: "Greek, geonomos, skilled in agriculture: for this tree puts forth buds at the apex of its stem which become new trees"). Palmaceae, tribeareceae. Slender spine- less palms with ringed, reed-like sterna much cultivated for their excellent decorative possibilities. Leaves terminal or alternate, usually crowded in showy clusters; blade entire, 2-lobed at the apex, or more or less pinnatisect; segms. acuminate, 1-nerved with the margins broadly recurved at the base; rachis acute above, convex at the back, petiole nearly cylindrical, concave at the base above; sheath tubular, spadices ascending or recurved, simple, forked or paniculately branched, slender or stout, often colored; spathes 2, often deciduous before flowering, or obsolete, the lower one partial, truncate, concave, the upper compressed or fusiform; fls. monoecious in each spadix, borne in the furrows of the spadix, at length partially exerted, when in 3’s the upper one pistillate; cells of anthers twisted: fr. small, globose, black.-Species about 100. Trop. Amer. II. G.C. 24:586. A.G. 16:345. For G. ghiesbreghtiana, see Calyptrogyne. Several members of this extensive genus of small-growing palms, are useful for the greenhouse, though most attractive at a small state, from the fact that geonomas soon begin to form a stem, and when aged become rather scantily furnished specimens. These palms are by no means difficult to grow, and do not require a very high temperature, their natural habitat being the mountains of Central and South America, some of the species being found at an altitude of over 4,000 feet above sea-level. Geonomas form part of the undergrowth on their native mountains, and! are said never to appear in the open country unsheltered by trees of larger growth; therefore, shade is necessary for them when cultivated under glass. The old practice of growing geonomas in a very light peaty soil does not seem to be the only method, for excellent results have been secured by growing them in a good loam, well manured and well drained, giving an abundance of water and a night temperature of 60.° Red spiders and thrips are the most troublesome insects to which these plants are subject, and both of these pests multiply much more rapidly if the plants are kept too warm and dry. (W. H. Taplin.) The most useful species from a commercial point of view is G. riedeliana (G. gracilis), which reminds one of Cocos weddelliana, but has longer leaflets. The species are undoubtedly confused under cultivation, and often unidentified. They are said not to be grown in the open in southern California, at least, not to any extent. The species here listed appear to be those of most horticultural importance here. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Pests and diseases

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Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Geonoma. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Geonoma QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)