Palms of Northeastern Mexico CARL MAX SCHOENFELD 126 FALL 2002 FALL Photo by Carl Max Schoenfeld The type location for Brahea berlandieri. NATIVE PLANTS JOURNAL ABSTRACT eastern foot in the hot and humid subtropical low- lands while to the west lie Nine species of palms native to north- the cool and dry highlands. eastern Mexico are successfully grown at This topographic formation Yucca Do Nursery. These palms are easy is the perfect recipe for site- to propagate, surprisingly cold hardy, specific endemic species to and occupy biologically and geologically thrive and survive from intriguing sites. Brief descriptions of ancient times to the pres- each species and general propagation ent. techniques are provided. Politically, northeast- KEY WORDS: Brahea, Chamaedorea, ern Mexico is delineated Sabal, Arecaceae, seed propagation, cold by the states of Coahuila, hardiness Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, and NOMENCLATURE: MOBOT (2002) Hidalgo. In these states exico ranks third in the world the following genera of in biological diversity palms can be found: (Mittermeier 1988) despite the Brahea Mart. ex Endl., M Chamaedorea Willd., and fact it is only the fourteenth largest coun- try in the world, having a land area about Sabal Adanson ex one-fourth that of the US. Mexico boasts Guersent. Continuing to about 30,000 species of plants with well narrow the scope, these 3 over 21,000 species of flowering plants. genera will be the focus of Its contribution cannot be equaled when further discussion. food crops are added to the equation, To me, the excitement Photo by Carl Max Schoenfield since Mexico is the only country where an beauty of Mexico is Figure 1 • Brahea bella. mega biodiversity and a center of agricul- unmatched. And yet, ture coincide (Ramamoorthy and others despite its close proximity standing of the characteristics that delin- 1993). Now that you have an idea of the to the US, it has been overlooked as a eate a species. This work is in progress vastness of the Mexican flora, I would source of new plant material. The palms and will take some time to complete. like to narrow the scope considerably and are just an example of this neglect. In The range of the Brahea complex mir- discuss the palms (Arecaceae) of north- over 100 visits to Mexico, each trip has rors that of the Sierra Madre Oriental. eastern Mexico. resulted in some new discovery. Rock palm, as species of this complex are Many different palms can be found BRAHEA COMPLEX commonly called, can be seen growing in the dramatic mountains of northeast- out of a sheer rock face only a 1-h drive ern Mexico. The awe-inspiring land- “What species is this?” This is a common south of the Texas border. They can be scapes of these mountains entice the problem when trying to identify new found clinging to exposed limestone faces senses of the plant explorer and capti- and unfamiliar plants. It is particularly of these mountains all the way south into vate the mind with hidden valleys and difficult when several very similar species Guatemala. What makes this complex so ever higher peaks. The Sierra Madre were named before sampling the entire distinctive is the incredible breadth of cli- Oriental starts its sinuous edge in population. This is the case with the mates that it inhabits while always grow- southern Mexico, and flows north paral- trunk-forming braheas. This complex ing in limestone. Imagine a 610 m (2000 leling the Gulf of Mexico, ending about includes the following species: Brahea ft) cliff with jagged edges pockmarked 160 km (100 miles) short of southwest dulcis (Kunth) Mart., B. berlandieri with rock palms growing parallel to the Texas. Here it breaks up into a series of Bartlett, and B. bella L.H. Bailey (Figure cliff surface—unbelievable! These upright isolated mountains surrounded by 1). Time will tell whether they remain trees, with smooth dark gray bark and deserts; some individual peaks reach separate species or become lumped into bright green fan-shaped leaves, share the heights of 2438+ m (8000+ ft). This 1 diverse species. In Mexico, taxonomy is breeze with parrots playing in warm region of Mexico is home to many a ship that sails in uncharted waters, and 127 updrafts and captivate the imagination. 2002 FALL handsome palms, most of which remain I was privileged to lead an expedition Rock palms are about the same size as the virtually unknown outside of a few col- into Mexico with Donald Hodel, author Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus for- lections despite being within a day’s of Chamaedorea Palms, The Species and tunei (W. J. Hooker) H. Wendl. drive of Texas. Oddly, these represent their Cultivation (Hodel 1992). Our [Arecaceae]) and would be used in the some of the most cold-hardy palms that objective was to collect herbarium speci- same applications. However, braheas are can be grown in temperate climates. mens specifically on the palms of north- more tolerant of drying wind and This geologically divided region has its ern Mexico in order to gain an under- VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 2 Madre Oriental. Its habitat is the oppo- site of B. moorei. Brahea decumbens Rzedowski grows on exposed limestone in a lunar-like landscape of rugged rock and rough terrain. This highly ornamental species has unique stout blue leaves (Figure 2). The 60-cm-long (2-ft) fan-shaped leaves are upright and held so close togeth- er that you cannot see their base. Very old specimens resemble an abandoned wagon wheel as the creeping trunk runs along the ground forking as it goes and, after a very long time, encircling the spot where the plant originated. These “wagon wheels” dot the landscape and help build the lean, stony soil and prevent drying winds from blowing soil away. The plant community that this plant inhabits is distinct, primari- ly made up of woody lilies (a term coined to describe woody members of the classic lily family [Liliaceae] native to the New World). These architectural plants create Photo by Carl Max Schoenfeld an unreal landscape in which several Figure 2 • The stout blue leaves of Brahea decumbens make it a desirable ornamental. species of Dasylirion Zucc. (Nolinaceae) predominate. As the plant ages, the leaves of B. decumbens turn a ghostly blue that drought. Since they are native to lime- that cut the hot sun by noon. Brahea varies with each individual but always con- stone, they are perfect for areas with moorei is a small delicate palm that has a trasts with the dark green leaves of shallow soils over limestone that would creeping habit and never forms a vertical seedlings surrounding mature plants. From stunt or kill T. fortunei. shaft. Upon maturity, it produces a chalky seeds, mature blue foliage may take up to white wax that is most pronounced on the 15 y to form. When rains are good these BRAHEA MOOREI underside of the leaf. The new leaf bud is palms produce short, stout flower stalks Whereas the Brahea complex extends over also covered in this white wax and as the and set seeds. The broad panicle is held a huge area and grows on exposed rock, leaf expands a highlight of it remains on within the leaves, which makes it difficult Brahea moorei L.H. Bailey is localized and the top of each leaf ridge. The overall to see but easy to distinguish from the thin mesic. This species is unique and cannot effect is stunning. Imagine a delicate long panicle of B. moorei. apple-green dwarf fan palm dusted with be confused with any other. Brahea moor- CHAMAEDOREA MICROSPADIX ei, although never plentiful, is found in frost and the bottoms of the leaves flocked northern Tamaulipas in the cool shade of white—beautiful beyond words. (Plants at Every year C. microspadix Burret leaves large Quercus rysophylla Weatherby Peckerwood Garden, Hempstead, Texas, are collected by the burrow-load for sale (Fagaceae) and Quercus polymorpha are now exhibiting this characteristic after in markets all across Latin America. Cham. & Schlecht. on the eastern flank 10 y.) In the wild, goats often eat the They are used for decoration on reli- of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain flower shaft, thus limiting its ability to gious holidays—especially Easter. Of range. This site is particularly rich in tem- produce seeds. Flower stalks are 3X the the approximate 100 species of perate flora such as Styrax platanifolius length of leaf petioles. When seen in fruit, Chamaedorea found in the New World, Engelm. ex Torr. ssp. mollis P. Fritsch this is a striking palm with long arching 2 species are native to northeastern (Styracaceae), Hamaemealis mexicana stalks topped with clusters of yellow fruit. Mexico and they are also the 2 most Standl. (Hamamelidaceae), Persea podade- Due to either drought or goats we have cold-hardy species one can grow in tem- nia S.F. Blake (Lauraceae), Mahonia gra- had lapses of up to 4 y before catching perate climates. In the wild, these palms 128 cilis (Benth.) Fedde. (Berberidaceae), this palm in fruit. But now, after 10 y in grow on steep slopes in the primeval Magnolia tamaulipana A. Vazquez the garden, they have flowered for the first forest facing the Gulf of Mexico in the (Magnoliaceae), and Liquidambar styraci- time. We hope that they will set viable states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, flua L. (Altingiaceae or Hamamelidaceae), seeds in cultivation. and Hidalgo at elevations of 610 to 1525 m (2000 to 5000 ft). This area is to name a few. The area is bathed in peri- BRAHEA DECUMBENS FALL 2002 FALL odic fogs before late June when the sum- home to the Huesteca, a people that mer rains settle in.