Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana
<google>CH02</google>
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Habitat and Distribution
Rainforests from sea level up to 1500m (4800') into the cloud forests, of southeast Mexico, and Central America.
Description
Common name: Vampire palm, or Coligallo palm, spanish for rooster tail. This is an understory palm. Trunk type: Solitary, with a mostly subterranean stem. Hight: To 2 meters (6.5') tall. Leaf detail: V-shaped, or bifid, with 3 to 9 other divisions in the leaf, to become partially pinnate, with a length to 1.2m (4'), and dark green. Flower detail: The flowers are produced all year round, on upright inflorescences; they are monoecious, with complete temporal separation of the male and female stages. The flowers are pollinated by bats. Special note: There are variable species, with four accepted subspecies.
Culture
Requirements: Full to partial shade when young, filtered light when mature, consistently moist soil, well drained position.
Curiosities
Because the flowers are made of a sweet chewable tissue (like the pulp of a fruit) they are much favoured by katydids (Tettigoniidae), whose feeding reduces the number of flowers available to be pollinated. The inflorescences host a species of mite (Acari) which live and reproduce on the inflorscence and travel to new inflorescences by hitching a ride on the flower-visiting bats. The behaviour of parasitising another animal for transport but not food is known as phoresy. A similar phenomenon which has been more comprehensively surveyed are the mites that live in flowers visited by hummingbirds and are phoretic on these flower-visiting birds.
- IMAGE GALLERY
Flower
Hawaii
Fairchild FL
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.
