Ceroxylon
Encyclopedia
Ceroxylon is a genus of flowering plant
in the Arecaceae
family, native to the Andes
in Venezuela
, Colombia
, Ecuador
, Peru
, and Bolivia
, known as Andean wax palms.
The species are almost exclusively montane
and include the tallest palm (and thus tallest monocotyledon
), C. quindiuense, which reaches 200 feet in height, and species growing at the highest altitude of the palm family (Arecaceae
), at more than 10,000 feet in elevation.
(the individual plant produces flowers of only one sex). Leaves are pinnate. Inflorescences emerge from among, and often project conspicuously beyond, the leaves. Round fruits, up to one inch in diameter, are red or orange at maturity. Many Ceroxylon species are endangered by habitat destruction
.
Two species of Andean wax palms, C. quindiuense and C. alpinum, provide nesting sites and food for species of Colombian parrots now in danger of extinction, Ognorhynchus icterotis and Conurus icterotis.
, Colombia
, contains an extensive planting of Ceroxylon palms. Other public gardens where cultivated Ceroxylon s can be viewed include the San Francisco Botanical Garden
in Golden Gate Park
, San Francisco, California
, the Huntington Botanical Gardens, in Pasadena
(near Los Angeles
), California, and the Oakland Palmetum at the Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
family, native to the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, known as Andean wax palms.
The species are almost exclusively montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
and include the tallest palm (and thus tallest monocotyledon
Monocotyledon
Monocotyledons, also known as monocots, are one of two major groups of flowering plants that are traditionally recognized, the other being dicotyledons, or dicots. Monocot seedlings typically have one cotyledon , in contrast to the two cotyledons typical of dicots...
), C. quindiuense, which reaches 200 feet in height, and species growing at the highest altitude of the palm family (Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
), at more than 10,000 feet in elevation.
Description
Ceroxylon palms develop single, smooth, wax-covered, often whitish cylindrical trunks encircled by ringed leafbase scars. Ceroxylon species are dioeciousDioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...
(the individual plant produces flowers of only one sex). Leaves are pinnate. Inflorescences emerge from among, and often project conspicuously beyond, the leaves. Round fruits, up to one inch in diameter, are red or orange at maturity. Many Ceroxylon species are endangered by habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
.
Two species of Andean wax palms, C. quindiuense and C. alpinum, provide nesting sites and food for species of Colombian parrots now in danger of extinction, Ognorhynchus icterotis and Conurus icterotis.
Cultivation
Several Ceroxylon species, including C. quindiuense, C. alpinum, C. vogelianum, C. ventricosum, and C. parvifrons, are cultivated as ornamental trees outside their native range in cool, humid, mild climates with minimal frosts, such as parts of Australia, coastal California, Hawai'i, New Zealand, South Africa, and coastal Western Europe. The Jose Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden in BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, contains an extensive planting of Ceroxylon palms. Other public gardens where cultivated Ceroxylon s can be viewed include the San Francisco Botanical Garden
San Francisco Botanical Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a large botanical garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Its 55 acres include over 50,000 individual plants, representing over 8,000 taxa from around the world, with particular focus on Magnolia species, high elevation palms, and cloud forest species...
in Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
, San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the Huntington Botanical Gardens, in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
(near Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
), California, and the Oakland Palmetum at the Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California.
Species
The genus contains the following species:- Ceroxylon alpinumCeroxylon alpinumCeroxylon alpinum is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Bernal, R. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Ceroxylon amazonicumCeroxylon amazonicumCeroxylon amazonicum is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is endemic-found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland Andean forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Ceroxylon ceriferum
- Ceroxylon echinulatumCeroxylon echinulatumCeroxylon echinulatum is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found only in Ecuador and Peru.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes in the Andes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Ceroxylon parvifrons
- Ceroxylon parvum
- Ceroxylon quindiuenseCeroxylon quindiuenseCeroxylon quindiuense , is a palm native to the Andean high altitude valley of Cocora in the department of Quindío, northwest Colombia.-Description:...
- Ceroxylon sasaimaeCeroxylon sasaimaeCeroxylon sasaimae is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family.It is found only in Colombia.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Bernal, R. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 July 2007....
- Ceroxylon ventricosum
- Ceroxylon vogelianum
- Ceroxylon weberbaueri