''Chamaedorea'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of 107
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
palms,
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas.
[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, palms checklist]
''Chamaedorea''
/ref>[Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan .] They are small palms, growing to tall with slender, cane-like stems, growing in the understory
In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...
in rainforests
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...
, and often spreading by means of underground runners, forming clonal colonies
A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals, such as plants, fungi, or bacteria, that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively, not sexually, from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in s ...
. The leaves are pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
(rarely entire), with one to numerous leaflets. The flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are produced in inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
s; they are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
is an orange or red drupe 0.5–2 cm diameter.[ Perhaps the best-known species is '']Chamaedorea elegans
''Chamaedorea elegans'', the neanthe bella palm or parlour palm, is a species of small palm tree native to the rainforests in Southern Mexico and Guatemala. The parlor palm is one of the most heavily sold houseplant palms in the world. It is o ...
'' (neanthe bella palm or parlor palm) from Mexico and Guatemala. It is popular as a houseplant
A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...
, particularly in Victorian houses. Another well-known species is '' Chamaedorea seifrizii'', the bamboo palm or reed palm.
The name ''Chamaedorea'' comes , in reference to easily reached fruits, or the plants' low-growing nature.
Species
Formerly placed here
*'' Synechanthus fibrosus'' (H.Wendl.) H.Wendl. (as ''C. fibrosa'' H.Wendl.)
See also
* Xate
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q820113
Arecaceae genera
Dioecious plants
Neotropical realm flora
Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Willdenow