ISHS Acta Horticulturae 486: II International Symposium on Ornamental Palms & other Monocots from the Tropics
THE PALMS OF GUATEMALA AND THEIR ORNAMENTAL USES |
| Author: | Juan J. Castillo Mont |
| Keywords: | Chamaedorea |
| Abstract:
With an area of 108,889 square kilometers, Guatemala is located in the subtropical region of the northern hemisphere between 13°44' and 18°30' N latitude and 87°30' and 92°13' W longitude. The most northern nation of Central America, it is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean Sea, on the southeast by Honduras and El Salvador, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. The different ecological zones in Guatemala range from sea level to more than 4,000 m elevation and from 400 mm to about 5,000 mm of annual precipitation; in this relatively small country, 14 different ecological zones are found according to the system of Holdridge (Castañeda Salguero). Due to its mountainous nature and steep topography creating barriers to species movement, numerous and diverse ecological zones, and position between the northern and southern hemispheres, Guatemala is blessed with an unusually rich biodiversity.(Valenzuela de Pisano, I.) With this rather unique geography and climate, Guatemala is know as "The Land of Eternal Spring", and in all aspects is a refuge of fragile ecosystems where palms are not only a conspicuous biological element but are also a symbol of great beauty and ornament. This paper will emphasize Chamaedorea, a predominantly Central America genus. Other important genera are: Acrocomia, Asterogyne, Astrocaryum, Bactris, Calyptrogyne, Desmoncus, Euterpe, Geonoma, Manicaria, Orbignya, Reinhardtia, Roystonea, and Scheelea. Of the indigenous genera reported by Standley and Steyermark in the Flora of Guatemala, the monotypic Schippia (S. concolor) is endemic to a rather restricted area at about 200 m elevation in lowland humid forest in Guatemala's Peten department and adjacent Belize. The remaining genera are more widely distributed from Mexico through Central America and most even into south America. (Standley, P.C.; Steyermark, J.) Chamaedorea, the largest genus in Guatemala, is distributed from Mexico to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and Bolivia. Mexico has 46 species, guatemala 37, Belize 9, Honduras 17, El Salvador 5, Nicaragua 7, Costa Rica 32, and Panama 27. There are clearly two centers of distribution for Chamaedorea. One is Mexico and Guatemala and the other is Costa Rica and Panama. Chamaedorea tepejilote is one of the most widely distributed species in Central America. C. pinnatifrons, a highly variable species, is also found throughout the region except in Belize. An unusual distribution is the presence of C. tenella in Mexico and Costa Rica but no countries in between. The unusual presence of C. selvae in Nicaragua, a country poor in Chamaedorea, is more apparent than real; it occurs just inside the border from Costa Rica. | |
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