''Chamaedorea'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of 107
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
palms,
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and enterta ...
to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas.
[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, palms checklist]
''Chamaedorea''
/ref>[Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan .] They are small palms, growing to tall with slender, cane-like stems, growing in the understory
In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English
The use of the English language in current and former member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations was largely inherited from British co ...
in rainforests
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...
, and often spreading by means of underground runners
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...
, forming clonal colonies. The leaves are pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, an ...
(rarely entire), with one to numerous leaflets. The flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
s are produced in inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...
s; they are dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...
, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
is an orange or red drupe
In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part ( exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kerne ...
0.5–2 cm diameter.[ Perhaps the best-known species is '' Chamaedorea elegans'' (neanthe bella palm or parlor palm) from Mexico and Guatemala. It is popular as a ]houseplant
A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...
, particularly in Victorian houses. Another well-known species is ''Chamaedorea seifrizii
''Chamaedorea seifrizii'' is a species of palm referred to as bamboo palm, parlor palm, or reed palm. It is a subtropical palm that grows up to 20 feet tall, and is commonly used as a houseplant. The evergreen leaves are pinnately divided, and y ...
'', the bamboo palm or reed palm.
The name ''Chamaedorea'' comes , in reference to easily reached fruits, or the plants' low-growing nature.
Species
Formerly placed here
*'' Synechanthus fibrosus'' (H.Wendl.) H.Wendl. (as ''C. fibrosa'' H.Wendl.)
See also
* Xate
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q820113
Arecaceae genera
Dioecious plants
Neotropical realm flora
Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Willdenow