Livistona

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Livistona >

Read about Livistona in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Livistona (Patrick Murray, of Livistone or Livingstone). Palmaceae. The most extensively grown genus of fan-leaved palms in commercial horticulture of the present day, its commonest representative being the "Chinese fan palm," L. chinensis, which is also known to the trade, and improperly, as Latania borbonica. Trunks usually tall, stout, ringed below, clothed above with dead lf. sheaths: lvs. spreading, orbicular, plicate, split to the middle or below; the segms. bifid, infolded, naked or fibrous along the margins; rachis short; ligule small, cordate, free; petiole long, stout, flat or rounded above, convex below, often spiny along the margins; sheaths margined with reticulate fibers: spadices long, at first ascending, pendent in fr., long- peduncled, loosely branched, the branches slender; spathes many, long, tubular, compressed, sheathing the peduncle, thick, coriaceous, bifid or 2-lipped, 2-keeled or ancipital: no bracts or bractlets: fls. greenish: fr. smooth and shining, oblong-globose or ellipsoidal, black, blue, yellow or brown.—About 14 species from Trpp. E. Asia, Malaya and Austral. From the seven allied genera mentioned under Licuala, Livistona is distinguished by the following characters: fls. hermaphrodite: carpels of the ovary globose, distinct or slightly cohering: styles short, distinct or cohering: albumen not twisted, broadly scooped out on the ventral side: branches of the spadices not bracted or the lower ones bracted. It is also remarkable in the group in having a thread in the lf. segms., at least in many of the species. In general, the members of this genus are by no means difficult to grow, though it is well to make some distinctions in culture between such strong-growing and comparatively hardy palms as L. chinensis and L. australis, and the more tender species from Java and northern Australia, among which L. humilis, L. olivae- formis and L. rolundifolia are prominent. For those of the first section a strong loamy soil well enriched with thoroughly decayed static-manure, good drainage, an abundance of water and a night temperature of 60° will provide satisfactory conditions for sturdy growth. The more tropical species, of which L. rolundifolia is a good example, make better progress in a somewhat lighter soil and a higher temperature, 65° to 70° being more congenial to them than the cool treatment accorded their stronger relatives. More shade is also required for the warmhouse species, in order to retain the rich green color that a healthy livistona should present.—Red-spider and white scale are two of the most troublesome insects to the grower of livistonas, the first being controlled to a great extent by thorough syringing, while the latter may be eradicated by the careful use of various insecticides, though avoiding the frequent application of extract of tobacco, the continued use of the latter substance often resulting in injury to the foliage of livistonas.—L. australis is a more stubby-growing plant than L. chinensis, the fan-like leaves are stiffer and less graceful, and the footstalks are more thoroughly armed with stout spines, while the leaves are also smaller in proportion to the plant than those of L. chinensis. L. Hoogendorpii and L. olivaeformis are somewhat alike in young plants, but the first has many more and coarser spines on the footstalks, and the stalks of L. Hoogendorpii are generally longer, the leaves of both being much divided. L. rotundifolia and L. altissima are much alike in a small state, and the writer is inclined to think that the seeds of the latter are sometimes substituted for those of L. rotundifolia. The leaves of L. rotundifolia are flatter and more even in outline, those of L. altissima being somewhat undulated as though they were crowded on the stalk. In fact, small plants of L. rotundifolia are usually more symmetrical, and also have longer footstalks or petioles. 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.

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References

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

External links

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