Monthly Update February 2012

FEATURED THIS MONTH: Copernicia curbeloi

ABOVE: Twelve year old Copernicia curbeloi growing in the Beck garden that displays the distinctive upright growth pattern.

BELOW: Nineteen year old Copernicia hospita growing in the Beck garden. (Photos by Charlie Beck)

FRONT COVER: Nine year old Copernicia curbeloi growing in the Beck garden. (Photo by Charlie Beck)

2 Featured this Month: Copernicia curbeloi Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society by Charlie Beck 2012 Officers & Executive Committee Copernicia curbeloi is a soli- curbeoli. (Note that the web address Tom Ramiccio, President (561) 582-5915 tary, monoecious, palmate palm with misspells curbeloi.) Jeff Hutchinson, First Vice President, Sales spiny petioles. It is native to central We have three C. curbeloi Don Biddle, Second Vice President, Planting east Cuba and grows in low, moist planted in our garden. Two speci- Dale Holton, Third Vice President, Programs (561) 965-6792 savannas. In habitat, it can grow 45 mens are 12 years old and one is 9 Ruth Lynch, Secretary (561) 312-5046 feet tall. The stem typically bulges to years old. Unlike many Copernicia Ingrid Dewey, Treasurer 12 - 16 inches in diameter then ta- which suffer from magnesium and Tom Whisler, Membership Chairman (561) 627-8328 pers back to 8 - 9 inches in diameter potassium deficiencies, C. curbeloi Charlie Beck, Editor (561) 963-5511 above and below the bulge. It most grows well with recommended fer- Betty Ahlborn, Immediate Past President closely resembles C. yarey var. ro- tilization and twice a week irriga- Appointees busta except it has a taller stem tion. Our 9 year old palm is 15 feet Charlie Beck, Librarian (with a bulge) and it has longer tall (overall height) with a 4 foot Kitty Philips, Web Master flowering and fruiting branchlets. C. stem. Our 12 year old specimens Ruth Lynch, Refreshment Chairman To Be Determined, Activities & Events Coordinators curbeloi also resembles C. baileyana measure an overall height of 12 feet. Brenda Beck, Historian and C. fallaensis The fronds are 6 but is not as mas- feet in diameter sive. The and the petioles VISIT US AT palmbeachpalmcycadsociety.com are waxy and are are 5 ½ feet long. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: reliably silver in The jagged teeth color. on the petiole are Page A n d r e w black and con- 4 FEATURED THIS MONTH: Copernicia curbeloi H e n d e r s o n trast with the lumped C. curbe- green petiole. 5 Outgoing Officers Recognized at January Meeting loi with C. hos- C. curbeloi 6 Upcoming meetings pita in his 1995 is not an easy “Field Guide to palm to find but 6 This Months “Thank You” and Door Prize Winner Copernicia curbeloi petioles are green the Palms of the with contrasting black teeth. occasionally you 7 January Meeting Recap Americas.” can find it of- 9 2012 Membership Application “Kew World Checklist of Palms,” as fered for sale. You won’t find it de- well as other scientific lists scribed in modern palm reference 10 Welcome New Member still list C. curbeloi as a valid spe- books. The only book I found it de- cies. The C. curbeloi in our garden scribed in was the October 1963 display silver fronds similar to C. “Gentes Herbarum – Revision of the Opinions expressed and products or recommendations published in this newslet- ter may not be the opinions or recommendations of the Palm Beach Palm & hospita but the growth habit is dif- Copernicia West Indian Spe- Cycad Society or its board of directors. ferent. C. curbeloi is more robust cies.” Of the 14 different species of and it holds many more fronds than Copernicia growing in our garden C. hospita. There is a great photo of I’d say that C. curbeloi is the best a mature specimen in habitat at the grower. It may not grow at the fast- For permission to reproduce any article that appears in this publication, con- web address est rate but it probably has the high- tact the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society editor at [email protected] www.photomazza.com/?copernicia- (Continued on page 5) 3 4 Outgoing Board Officers Recognized at January Meeting by Brenda Beck Newly elected president, Tom duties, Ruth opened her home as Ramiccio, presented two outgoing the location for our monthly Palm Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 officers with plaques of apprecia- Society board meetings. Every tion for their service to the Palm month at these board meetings, Location: Mounts Botanical Garden Society. Ruth served board members a vari- Time: 6:00 p.m.—Palm Society Board Meeting Outgoing president, Betty ety of home made cakes and drinks Ahlborn, served as president from at her own expense. She has also Time 7:30 p.m.—General Meeting 2007 through 2011. In addition to allowed the Palm Society to hold its fulfilling her duties as president, annual picnic in her beautiful gar- Speaker: Chip Jones Betty has repotted, fertilized, den since 1996. Unfortunately, Subject: Loran Whitlock’s Garden and How to Identify Cycads nursed, and transported the Ruth was not present at the meet- ordered for our annual palm give- ing. away at her own expense. As immediate past presi- dent, Betty will remain active as a member of the THIS MONTH’S “THANK YOU” Society’s Executive Com- mittee. Outgoing secretary, PLANT DONATIONS Ruth Sallenbach, has been Dale Holton an active member for ap- Tom Whisler proximately 23 years. She served as secretary from 1997 through 2011 and MEETING REFRESHMENTS holds the record for the Ruth Lynch longest serving officer for Ed Napoli the Palm Beach Palm & Tom Ramiccio presents outgoing president Tom Ramiccio Cycad Society. In addition Betty Ahlborn with a plaque of appreciation. Kathy & Rod Silverio to fulfilling her secretarial Bonnie Wilburn

(Continued from page 4) hurricane, C. curbeloi is a more JANUARY DOOR PRIZE WINNER est frond count of any of our solitary manageable size. C. curbeloi is well Copernicia palms and it never shows adapted to growing in our sandy Bonnie Wilburn won “Cycads of Thailand” any nutritional deficiencies. C. cur- soils unlike many other Copernicia beloi is the right scale for most of species which prefer limestone soil. SPECIAL THANKS our landscapes with one-story Seek out C. curbeloi for your garden to homes. Unlike many of the giant and you will be rewarded with a Tom Ramiccio & Roland Grondin Copernicia species that could “showstopper palm.” for arriving at 5:00 p.m. to keep the Mounts building open for us. threaten your house if toppled in a

5 6 January Meeting Recap by Charlie Beck

We were fortunate to have Pritchardiopsis jeanneneyi was also world renowned palm biologist, renamed Saribus jeanneneyi. Scott Zona, speak at the January To sum up, there are presently general meeting. His presentation nine named species of the genus Palm Beach Palm was “An Introduction Saribus. All other & Cycad Society to Palms (and a Peek species re- to the Future).” His main Livistona, includ- review of palm biology ing Livistona saribus. was very interesting to The palms now in Spring Plant Sale all who attended the the genus Saribus are meeting. more closely linked to One of the Pholidocarpus , new subjects he cov- Licuala, and Johan- March 31 and April 1, 2012 ered was the resurrec- nesteijsmannia than to tion of the genus Sari- the remaining species bus. I will attempt to of Livistona. The native at Mounts Botanical Garden sum up these changes ranges of Saribus and in nomenclature for the Livistona are geo- Look for additional details casual palm collector. graphically distinct Eight Livistona species Scott Zona with only minor overlap. in your March newsletter. were moved into the Aside from inflorescen- genus Saribus. They are renamed to ces and cellular differences, the most Saribus as listed below. obvious difference between Livis-  Saribus brevifolius tona and Saribus is the color of ma-  Saribus chocolatinus ture fruit. Saribus fruit is orange, orange-brown, or red. Livistona fruit  Saribus merrillii is green, blue, purple, brown, or Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society Membership  Saribus papuanus black.  * The palms which are com- Be sure to keep your membership up to date. It will insure that you receive all Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society communications. Annual membership is $25 for an  Saribus surru monly grown in Florida gardens which require a name change are individual membership and $35 for a dual membership (two people living at the same  Saribus tothur address) per year and membership runs from January 1 to December 31. Membership listed below.  Saribus woodfordii can be renewed by sending payments to the Society at P.O. Box 21-2228, Royal Palm  Saribus rotundifolius was Livis- Beach, FL 33421.

tona rotundifolia or Livistona Thank you for your support of the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society. We hope * Note that Saribus rotundifolius robinsoniana to see you at all of our general meetings which take place on the first Wednesday of includes the former Livistona every month at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. Be sure to watch for rotundifolia and Livistona rob-  Saribus woodfordii was Livis- information regarding our field trips, special activities, and palm and cycad shows and insoniana. tona woodfordii sales. If you have questions about membership, you can contact Tom Whisler, our Membership Chairman, at (561) 627-8328 or at [email protected]

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WELCOME NEW MEMBER

2012 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY) Andrew Street

Name(s): Address:

Home Telephone: Cell Phone: E-mail Address:

PLACE YOUR Business Card, FOR SALE, $25—Individual Membership Discount Coupon Ad $35—Dual Membership (two individuals living at the same address) in this newsletter and on our website:

Please send the annual Individual Membership Fee OR Dual Membership Fee $6 A MONTH OR $66 A YEAR to: HALF PAGE—$20 A MONTH FULL PAGE—$35 A MONTH Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society E-mail your ad or any photograph or P.O. Box 21-2228 information you would like Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 included to Attn: Membership Chairman [email protected].

Send your check to: Membership runs from January 1 through December 31. Membership includes Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society one monthly newsletter and receipt of free palms, cycads, and other plants at c/o Brenda Beck the annual plant give-away in December. P.O. Box 21-2228 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 (Check must be received prior to print.)

FOR PALM SOCIETY USE ONLY $ Check No. Year

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tion ferntion on stem of

Cattleya sp. growing

among native among resurrec-

Hyophorbe vershaffeltii

Saribus rotundifolius (formerly Livistona rotundifolia

or Livistona robinsoniana)

IF YOU HAVE NOT RENEWED HAVE YOU IF

BE YOUR LAST BEYOUR NEWSLETTER.

2228

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YOUR MEMBERSHIP, YOUR THIS MAY

Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society Cycad & Palm Beach Palm 21 Box P.O. 33421 FL Beach, Palm Royal

Saribus woodfordii (formerly Livistona woodfordii) February 2012 Monthly Update Monthly 2012 February 11 12