ISHS Acta Horticulturae 486: II International Symposium on Ornamental Palms & other Monocots from the Tropics
THE GENUS BRAHEA AND ITS CULTIVATION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, A MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE |
| Author: | Nora M. Barboza |
| Abstract:
There have been a total of 30 published species under either Erythea or Brahea and over the years there has been confusion as where to place them. At present there is a general agreement that there are 11 species in the genus Brahea, but further field and herbarium studies may result in a different assignment for names. The species included in Erythea were distinguished from Brahea not only by growing habit and morphology. But also by the preference for the distinct soil types. While the erytheas grow in the desert mainly in canyons close to ground moisture on soil derived from igneous rocks, the true braheas grow on limestone cliffs or lime soils. México is the natural home to most of the species of Brahea. Although México has a great diversity of environmental conditions, most of the species of the genus Brahea inhabit the most xerophytic regions. The Palm Collection at the Huntington Botanical Gardens located in Southern California is host to the most important Brahea collection in Cultivation. With a Mediterranean climate, these gardens provide the perfect weather for most of the braheas. The collections are particularly valuable because they represent collections with wild locality data. | |
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