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The Journal of The European Palm Society - No. 47C h a m a e r o p s47

C o n t e n t sA r t i c l e s :Rain, Rain, and more of the same! by John Kenahan, Goring, UK page 5Kannonchiku by Keith Andrew page 8The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh by Tony King, Romford, Essex, UK page 12On the identity of Musa sp. 'Yunnan' by D R Constantine, Bridgwater, Somerset, UK page 16Subtropical Lake District by Jim Reynolds, Vancouver, B. C., Canada page 20A Glance Through Time page 22S t a n d a r d s :Editorial by Tobias W. Spanner page 3Shop get back issues and more page 23Cover: Looks like a postcard: Old and stately Trachycarpus fortunei at the lakefront in Lugano, Lago di Lugano.Photo: Gerard PuryChamaerops is the quarterly journal of The European Palm Society. The European Palm Society (EPS) is affiliated to theInternational Palm Society and was founded in 1991. The EPS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing information aboutpalms and other exotic plants across the continent of Europe. The main goal of the EPS is to communicate with other enthusiaststhrough Chamaerops, the EPS website, or personally at Society meetings, in order to share ideas and knowledge of the successfulcultivation of exotic plants. Above all, the EPS and Chamaerops are run by members, for members.Issue no. 47, summer 2003Editor Tobias W. Spanner (Germany) mail@palmsociety.orgMembership Organizer Tony King (UK) membership@palmsociety.orgLanguage Editor Lauri D. Coulombe (USA)French Translator Yann Corbel (France)German Translator Jörg Witticke (Germany)Layout, Design ultracondensed.com (Germany) webmaster@palmsociety.orgPrintersSimmons Printers Ldt. (UK)The European Palm Societyc/o The Palm CentreHam Central NurseryHam Street, HamRichmond, Surrey, TW10 7HA - United KingdomPhone: +44 20 8255 6191Fax: +44 20 8255 6192mail@palmsociety.orgwww.palmsociety.orgSpecial thanks to all our contributors.Please send manuscripts and pictures by mail or e-mail.Computer files are most welcome. Pictures can be send asprints, negatives, slides, on floppy, CD-ROM or by e-mail.Please send to: The European Palm Society, Tobias W. Spanner,Tizianstr. 44, 80638 München, GermanyTo join the EPS please contactTony King - 34, Keats Avenue - Romford, Essex RM3 7ARUnited Kingdommembership@palmsociety.orgMembership rates:Chamaerops only: 1 year £15. Online only: 1 year £12, 2 years £20, 3 years £24. Chamaerops & Online: 1 year £20, 2 years £36, 3years £48. Upgrade: Members currently off-line can upgrade their membership to 'Chamaerops & Online': 1 year +£5, 2 years +£10,3 years +£15. For any online membership queries please visit www.palmsociety.org2 Chamaerops No. 47

E d i t o r i a lWith spring well underway and the newgardening season already going at full steam,people are busy planting and replantingeverywhere. The standard greenery most frequentlyavailable and used in gardens still accounts for mostof the plantings of course, but you can see moreand more palms and other exotics appearingeverywhere, even in seemingly unsuitable areasdeemed too frosty even by enthusiasts' standards.Just 10 years ago, garden centres all over northernEurope would not have been caught dead stockingpalms for outdoor use, and even in the mild southof Europe the range was limited mainly to the localfavourites Phoenix canariensis and Washingtoniarobusta, and the odd Kentia or "Areca"-Palm,imported from Holland, incredibly enough.Today, there is a wide range of cold hardy palmsavailable not only from a growing number ofspecialist nurseries all over Europe, but also fromthe mainstream suppliers, who have discovered aviable business addition. It is no longer a surpriseto find a Trachy or a Chamaerops in your localgarden store in the north, and nurseries in Italy,France and Spain now grow and stock an increasingrange of mouth-watering palms, including Brahea,Butia, Syagrus, Trithrinax and even an odd Jubaea.Surprisingly, despite this growing interest inexotic plants and, more specifically, palms,membership numbers in the European PalmSociety remain at a fairly constant level of 600members plus a couple of hundred subscribers tothe EPS website. Other palm societies, includingthe largest and most prestigious of them all, theInternational Palm Society, have actually seen adecrease in membership in recent years, eventhough interest in palms is constantly rising.I would claim that the European Palm Societywas and still is heavily responsible for this newexotic boom and is one of the forerunners inEurope of this new trend. Chamaerops,accordingly, is arguably one of the best sources ofinformation for news in the palm world. So whyis it, I ask myself, that our membership numbersdo not profit from this growing interest? Perhapspart of the problem is that information can easilybe accessed free from the Internet, causing manyto think that spending £15/EUR23 a year inmembership fees is an unnecessary expense. Howcan we involve those who get most of theirinformation from free online sources in the EPS?Perhaps another problem is that, with palms sowidely available at every local garden centre, peoplewho buy a palm there today are not aware of theEPS and the wealth of information it could provideto them to help grow their new acquisitionsuccessfully. How can we get more garden centresand local nurseries to recognize that promotingthe EPS to their customers will help further theirsales of palms and other exotics with a minimumof additional effort? Every specialized palm nurserycan probably tell numerous tales about people whocall asking all sorts of questions about "a palm"they just purchased at one of these generic gardencentres that came with no additional informationfrequentlyeven without a name.I would claim that Chamaerops and the EPSwebsite with its large archive deserve much moreattention among new palm enthusiasts as a reliablesource of firsthand information, and I hope thatevery member will promote it as such to friendsand others interested in growing palms. Word ofmouth is, after all, the best advertisement.I hope many of you will be prompted to shareyour ideas on how to promote the EPS. Our LettersPage and the EPS forum on the web are yearningfor your contributions.T.S.Chamaerops No. 473

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R a i n , R a i n , a n d m o r eo f t h e s a m e !By John Kenahan, Goring, UKThose were the circumstances that faced thoseof us living in the British Isles in the winter andspring of 2000/2001 and which produced thehighest rainfall since records began over 300 yearsago. Inevitably such conditions caused greatdamage and many people were forced to abandontheir homes to the rising flood waters.In this article I shall concentrate on thehorticultural implications of the Deluge . . . andhow it affected the garden of yours truly. This fairlysmall garden, which measures around 100 ft. by50 ft., is situated on the West Sussex plain, an areathat runs (roughly) from Shoreham in the east toChichester in the west and lies south of the SouthDowns, a pleasant area of Downland, which Ishould explain for non-British readers actuallymeans upland! "Downland", or the shorter form"Downs", when spelt with a capital "D" refers tochalk upland in southern England for they are aseries of hills.On purchasing the property in 1993, I soonremoved most of the existing garden contents,which included a small vegetable patch, an evensmaller "herbaceous border", and some out-ofcontrolconifers, and gradually began planting mykind of plants, which include Rhododendrons,various "exotics", succulents and especially - waitfor it - those most wonderful and essential jewelsin the crown of any exotic garden - PALMS! Theeffect of the Great Deluge on the palms and otherexotics in the garden was very interesting andNative to vast plains like this one in Corrientes, Argentina, whichoccasionally experiences flooding, Butia yatay is always found onwell drained and well aerated, sandy soils.Photo: Martin Gibbons and Tobias W. Spanner.Chamaerops No. 47informative, for in addition to the constant rain,there was also flooding over most of the gardenfor two days due to a drainage ditch bursting itsbanks because a nearby culvert had becomeblocked with debris, mainly consisting of twigsand leaves, but fortunately the flood water wasneither contaminated by sea-water or even dirtywater, which happened less than a mile away.Just to make things even more interesting (!) Ishould explain that the soil is clay and being closeto the foreshore the water table is quite high, beingonly a few feet below the soil surface, but variable,as is the case with all low lying regions, dependingon the height of the tide, wind velocity anddirection, and of course rainfall. It would not benecessary to dig very deep to make a well, whichmay indeed be necessary at some time in the nearfuture, for all the climate change models predictmuch hotter and drier summers for those of us insouthern England, and guess who lives close tothe beach and in the front line of all this climatechange? Yep!The effects of the flooding in November 2000(which covered about 70% of the garden) werenot at once apparent, but shortly afterwards, inlate December, Acacia dealbata, which had its rootarea completely submerged, dropped every singleflower bud, and an Acacia baileyana "Purpurea"on slightly higher ground that had its root area50% submerged lost 50% of the buds. I doubt ifthat was coincidence. I am delighted to report thatthere was no foliage damage to either and bothare now growing and flowering well. Succulentsincluding Agave americana, Dasylirionacrotrichum, Puya alpestris, Fasicularia bicolourand a Protea grandiceps were in the lower of mytwo raised beds and surrounded by water but were5

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completely unaffected even though the lower rootsof most of these would have been below water! Iam very pleased with these raised beds, which areof my own design, totally radical and very differentfrom the usual such structures. I hope to writeabout them in a future article.There was no damage whatsoever to the twoOlea europa or even the shallow rootedRhododendrons, although the normally prolific,sweet scented R. loderii "King George" droppedall its flower buds but one.Having kept you in suspense for long enoughI shall now tell you about the palms! Those abovethe standing water, which include Trachycarpusfortunei (planted in 1993), Chamaerops humilis(1993) Butia capitata (1994), Brahea armata(1994), and B.edulis (1997), were fine though theground was extremely wet with all that rain and Iwas particularly pleased that the Braheas managedto tolerate those conditions, which they surelycould not have done if they had been newlyplanted.In the flooded area two specimens of Phoenixcanariensis (1995 and 1997) were undamaged,although one produced three inflorescences thefollowing June whilst still very juvenile and onlytwo metres tall. In contrast, a Butia capitata (1996)which had flowered the previous two years did notproduce a single inflorescence but the foliage wasfine and the strong growth (yes - Butias can befast!) continues and this year it flowered as normal.A specimen of Acoelorraphe wrightii (1999),which lost its five foot main trunk in the winter of1999 (frost damage), was not worried by the rainand the four or five small suckers are growing onwell, and I reckon this interesting palm is surelyworth a try in very mild areas such as centralLondon, though a neutral or low pH, (acid) soil iscrucial.yatay (August 2000)-died: suddenly in April 2001due to flooding. Yes, just a single casualty! I canassure you that I never anticipated flooding (it hadnot happened in the fifty years since the housewas built) but I had expected heavy winter rain,and hotter summers due to global warming andtherefore my planting is done gradually, rather thanbeing rushed, and is still continuing. Apart fromthe Butia yatay, all the other plants were wellestablished and had the extensive root systems tocope without too much stress; if the flood hadcontinued for longer, however, it could have beena very different outcome.What are the lessons for palm and exotic plantlovers? If, perhaps, you are new to this wonderfulpalmy way of life and full of enthusiasm to rushout into the back yard and plant everything all atonce then my advice for those with a temperate orcontinental climate is DON'T! Instead, plantgradually over three or four years or more, andshould a calamity occur, such as a surprise hardfrost or even record high temperatures anddrought, then all your more established palms andexotica will have a good chance of survival andyou won't be facing total wipeout in year one.Newly planted palms and exotics will be badlystressed by all such extreme events. So, my palmfriends, don't put all your eggs into one basket;just prepare your ground carefully, relax, take yourtime . . . and be happy.Despite these extreme, severe, and unexpectedconditions, only one palm-a newly planted ButiaZuikonishiki. Article see page 8.Photo: Keith AndrewChamaerops No. 477

K a n n o n c h i k uKeith Andrew - National Rhapis Collection,Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey, U.K.,www.kannonchiku.co.ukI have always been interested in things oriental,such as Japanese Prints, Bonsai, Japanese Gardens,Satsuma Ceramics and Koi, to name a few. Nowa new passion - Kannonchiku - Rhapis excelsanamed cultivars.A professional artist and printmaker, I firstcame across Rhapis excelsa while selling my printsin Tokyo and Osaka, but had no time to pursuethe matter. When I returned to the U.K. I thoughtI would look into getting some, only to find thatthey were not available in the U.K. and hardly anyone had even heard of them. Then my wife foundan out-of-print book, The Miniature Palms ofJapan, published in 1981, and I became even morefascinated by these elusive palms. This was backin 1997. Eventually I found some in the U.S.A.More recently, I have bought some from a collectorreducing his collection that included some quitemature specimens. This prompted me to producethe web site. My intention was to build mycollection and sell the surplus offshoots to fellowenthusiasts and collectors. Now I have beenappointed the European Kannonchikurepresentative and have Japanese stock availablefor sale.Kannonchiku are a naturally dwarf form ofRhapis excelsa palm that rarely reach two metres.They have stems covered in fibrous bark and fanshapedleaves. Subtle variations of leaf shape,colour, texture, and variegation of leaf, make thisa truly unique palm.There are over one hundred named cultivarsof Kannonchiku. From 1947 they have beenregistered by the Japan Kansochiku Association(Kansokai) who standardized the list of varieties.The varieties can be divided into four groupsdependent on place of origin.1 - The Native group - early introductions sincethe seventeenth century.2 - Rakanchiku - originate from SouthernChina.3 - Taiwanchiku - Came to Japan from Taiwanin great numbers around 1937.4 - Imported Group - Imported from placesother than Southern China and Taiwan withcharacteristics dependent on place of origin.These slow growing, long-lived palms havebeen part of Japanese culture since their arrival inJapan around 1600 and enjoy cult status, but arevirtually unknown in the West.Kannonchiku are propagated by removing thesuckers. Only two or three are produced each year,making the production of a large number of plantsa slow process.New varieties come from seed but only 1 in10,000 seedlings will produce a worthy newcultivar that might warrant registration.Every year in Japan, members of the JapanKansokai Association meet to compile a directoryof palms based on beauty, price, popularity, andthat year's new introductions. The members rankthe palms into four classes (Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4).Within each class, the most popular palms aregiven special recognition. Today the highestranking palm is Kobanoshima with the bestspecimens selling for many thousands of dollars.In the early seventies the No 1 ranked palm wasEizannishiki, and in 1975 a single choice shootsold for nearly $10,000. So, collectingKannonchiku can be a very profitable hobby. Thisranking status will greatly affect the price of thepalm. Palms in a lower ranking group can also beworth as much as the No 1 types due to rareness.8 Chamaerops No. 47

C u l t i v a t i o nRhapis palms are very easy to cultivate; but, togrow perfect specimens with no blemishes is a bitmore difficult, so certain criteria have to be metTemperature:Although a subtropical palm, Rhapis excelsaadapt very well to many environments as long astime is allowed for gradual acclimatization.The optimum growing temperature range is20°C (68°F) - 23°C (73°F), which, along with theirability to tolerate dry indoor conditions, makesthem ideal house plants.During the winter it is probably best to keepthe palms on the cool side for a time as this willharden them. Too high a temperature in the wintercould weaken the palms and produce leggy growth.10C (50F°) - 15°C (60°F) seems about right andthe palms will continue to grow slowly. The palmswill stop growing below 10°C (50°F) and willsurvive even down to freezing if protected fromfrost.L i g h tOne reason Rhapis palms make ideal houseplants is their liking for low light interiors. Rhapispalms will survive in very low light but if they areto grow well they do need some filtered sunlightto thrive and produce new offshoots.When you first get the palm, you need to knowwhat conditions it has been used to so that youcan gradually get the palm used to its newsurroundings.If the palm is grown in quite bright light thegreen leaves might have a yellowish appearance thatcan be compensated for by giving extra fertilizer,being careful not to over do it. Great care must betaken with delicate striped leaves as they can easilybe scorched by strong sunlight.W a t e r i n gMore house plants have probably been killedfrom over watering than for any other reason.Rhapis palms like to be moist but not wet andsoggy. An indication of when to water is when theChamaerops No. 47surface of the compost is somewhat dry.Also, get used to the weight of the pot beforeyou water.A plastic pot would require less watering thana clay pot and a clay pot less watering than aKannonchiku pot . The Kannonchiku pot is veryporous with a large drainage hole, so the pot driesout more quickly and can be watered morefrequently, giving more oxygen and moisture tothe palm.A good method of watering would be byimmersion in a bucket. Immerse the pot twice anddrain off. This will also have the effect of leachingout any deposits of salts from fertilizing. Do notlet the pot stand in water as this could cause theroots to rot. If using a plastic or clay pot stand iton dry, coarse gravel to help air circulation underthe pot. This is not necessary with a Kannonchikupot as it has three feet to stand on.F e r t i l i z i n gAs Rhapis palms grow so slowly they requirevery little fertilizer, but to look their best andproduce new offshoots, they do need to be fedsparingly. Also, different cultivars require differentamounts of fertilizer, so if you are not sure, stayon the cautious side . As a rule, when feeding liquidfertilizer, use half the amount stated for greencultivars and one quarter the amount for variegatedcultivars.Another method of fertilizing that can be usedin conjunction with or instead of liquid feed is'place' fertilizer. The Japanese term is Okihi, andit is a slow release organic fertilizer. It is made bymixing cottonseed meal as the base (60%), withpowdered fish (20%), and powdered bone (20%).To this mixture add a little water, mix again, andleave to ferment in a sealed container for two tothree weeks.After fermentation, form the paste into 1-2 cmballs and leave to dry until hard. One or two ofthese can be placed around the soil surface in thepot so that, when the palm is watered, a little ofthe fertilizer is washed into the pot.There is room for experimenting with differentmixtures, but be careful with delicate variegatedpalms, as, if too much fertilizer is washed into the9

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soil, the roots can be scorched. As a way of makingthe balls of fertilizer harder so that less is washedinto the soil, I added two egg yolks to thefermented mixture!S o i lRhapis palms prefer well-drained soil with aph of around six; a soil suitable for 'African Violets'is fine. Or use four parts ericaceous peat basedcompost, two parts perlite, one part vermiculite,two parts coarse grit with plenty of bean size gravelfor drainage.The Japanese method is to use three grades ofsand/gravel: large (bean size), medium (pea size)and small (rice size). This results in an extremelyfree draining mixture that requires very frequentwatering. Depending on where you live, this couldbe the ideal soil for achieving the palm's fullpotential. If your climate is not too hot and youhave good water, this could be the best method.P e s t s a n d d i s e a s e sRhapis excelsa grown in the United Kingdomand given the correct cultural conditions areaffected by very few pests and diseases.However, since prevention is better than cure,regular monthly spraying with pesticide andfungicide will go a long way to prevent any attack.Scale insect is something to look out forespecially when new leaves are emerging. Look forany woolly deposits in the leaf joints. If you find ascale insect, pick it off and spray immediately.Brown spot is a fungal disease and can affectespecially the older leaves, causing brown spots andblemishes, and could be caused by cold and dampconditions. Any infected leaves should be removedto avoid the infection spreading to other palms.Another problem, though not a disease, arerotting roots, caused by bad cultural practice suchas over watering and fertilizing. The leaf tips willturn black or reddish brown. The palm should beremoved from the pot and the roots checked. Anyblackened roots should be removed, the rootsshould be washed in fungicide, and the plantshould be repotted.The leaves of delicate variegated palms can bedamaged by too strong sunlight, and scorched bydrips of water left on the leaves in the sun. Keepwell shaded.K a n n o n c h i k u p o t sIt is not surprising that these unique palms aregrown in very unique and exquisite pots.They were designed specifically forKannonchiku to reach their full potential. The verybest are handmade works of art, known as 'Nishikistyle'.Less expensive but still impressive is theNamanishiki style, which features a 'wave and birdpattern'.Another beautiful pot is the Fuchikin style,plain and simple with gold feet and rim against amatte black body. The black porous glaze helpsretain warmth in the winter and allows roots tobreathe.Kannonchiku pots are deeper than normal potsto give the roots free reign, and the bottom is arounded shape so as not to restrict drainage. Thelarge drainage hole is covered with a ceramic discknown as 'sana', which stops the potting mediumfrom falling through.Of course, there are cheaper, machine madepots available for everyday use. Only the finestexamples of Kannonchiku should be put into thehigh quality pots.I hope this has wet your appetite for learningmore about Kannonchiku, or even starting acollection! They certainly give me a lot of pleasure.I continue to be amazed at how the Japanesecontinue to develop new and ever more stunningvarieties considering how slow this process is.Taiheinishiki.Photo: Keith AndrewChamaerops No. 4711

T h e R o y a l B o t a n i cG a r d e n , E d i n b u r g hBy Tony King, Romford, Essex, U.K.Many readers will be familiar with the RoyalBotanic Garden at Kew but may be less aware ofone of its 'sister' gardens located in the Scottishcapital of Edinburgh.During late 2002, work commitmentsoccasionally required me to spend time workingin this wonderful city, though opportunities to visitthe garden were very limited! This was not helpedby the fact that garden staff physically ushereveryone from the grounds at closing time, 5.00p.m. The restricted time meant that I was notreally able to explore much of the outdoorplantings, notable for being rich in unusual plantsfrom China.For me, being more familiar with gardens inthe warmer and drier South, it was great to seethriving examples of species that prefer the coolerand wetter environment of Scotland. These areplants that you just don't encounter when visitinggardens in the South East of England, or if youdo, they are much smaller in growth than theirScottish cousins.With so little time I concentrated my visits onthe wonderful complex of greenhouses, collectivelyknown as the 'Glasshouse Experience'. The mainbuilding range makes an imposing architecturalstatement as the supports that keep it aloft are heldon the outside of the structure, rather like havingyour skeleton on view. The benefit of doing so isto allow maximum space within for growing plants,even incorporating a viewing gallery in the main'temperate' section.The main houses were constructed in 1965,replacing an earlier range from the 1890s, andfollow the modern approach of landscaped sectionsdevoted to differing climatic conditions fromtropical through temperate to xerophytic. Theyserve also to connect a small number of olderoutlying glasshouses, which include an historicpalm house, constructed in 1834. As with theoutdoor plantings, I was very struck by the numberof plants being grown that I had never seen before,many of them original introductions fromcollectors made earlier last century. Other uniquefeatures are collections of species in which thegarden specialises, such as those hailing from thecooler, high altitude areas of the tropics. Prominentamongst these are epiphytic species ofRhododendron from the Far East and New Guineaand plants of the ginger family.Rather than give a guided tour (there is muchto see!), I will pick out some highlights, startingin the largest area, devoted to plants from thetemperate world.This area is fairly densely planted and againwhilst some plants are familiar, many were new tome. Amongst the notable specimens are a giantHimalayan Magnolia hodgsonii bearing largeleaves and planted in 1939. It must be stunningwhen in bloom. Another wonderful tree is hailedfrom a genus I had previously never encountered,Manglletia hookeri, planted in 1927 and grownfrom seed collected in SW China by the great planthunter George Forrest. Also from a Forrestcollection, bearing his field number 18784, is theChinese Olive, Olea tsoongii, again from SWChina. Many people familiar with the majesticOak may be less aware that this family of treeshas many species that occur at higher altitude areasof the tropics. One such species that has reached12 Chamaerops No. 47

tree size proportions within this house is Quercusglauca with a wide distribution across China,Taiwan, and Japan.Moving continents, two wonderful specimensrepresent the flora of New Zealand. A Kauri pine,Agathis australis, now pushes at the roof of theconservatory. Normally regarded as a slow growingspecies, this example was planted by the late HMPrincess Margaret in 1967 when it stood 13 ft.(almost 4 m). tall. The other plant, also at roofheight, is a member of the Protea family, Knightiaexcelsa..A final highlight in this section is a Fuchsiaarborescens, planted in 1946 and now a beautifulbarked tree over 12 ft. (3.6 m) tall. It was loadedwith hanging bunches of purple berries at the timeof my visit.Leaving this area via a connecting glasshousethat is home to the giant Victoria waterlily duringthe summer, you arrive at a very special section,the 'fernery'. Not just any fernery though, a hometo the largest collection of Tree fern species I thinkI have ever seen! To add to the primeval atmospherethese plants create, the concrete floor carriesimprints of tree fern fronds and also footprints ofpassing dinosaurs that may still lurk amongst theshadows!The tree fern species you would expect to seeare here, such as Dicksonia squarrosa, D. fibrosaand D. antarctica, and in some cases a numberhave been planted to form small groves. Othermore unusual species that caught my attentionincluded a grove of many Cyathea malzinei fromMexico, a Dicksonia lanata, and a stunning, largeCyathea brownii with a very woolly top to itstrunk. Having an equally woolly trunk was aCibotium chamissoi, a species with a more delicateappearance and a dwarfer nature than many of thegiants that grow here.Amongst the tree ferns are a mixture of equallyimpressive plants. Ferns such as Todea barbarafrom Australia and large Blechnum gibbum,themselves like miniature tree ferns. Anybodyfamiliar with the giant tropical fern Angiopterisevecta would be interested to see its slightly smallerand more cool tolerant cousin A. lygodifolia fromChina and Japan.Besides ferns, there is a large and healthyspecimen of the fern-like cycad, Stangeria eriopus,and a clump of the giant horsetail from SouthAmerica, Equisetum myriochaetum. Very strikingare two plants of a primitive conifer from NewCaledonia, Acmopyle pancheri, resembling a dawnredwood or Araucaria. They have stunning silverfoliage and may even have been male and femalespecimens.Being a real lover of tree ferns, this is perhapsmy favourite area in which to spend some time.Moving on again through interconnectinghouses, you leave behind the coolness of the ferneryon a walk via hot, humid sections full of cycads,palms, orchids and other tropical species. Acuriosity here is the climbing plant Dioscoreabulbifera. A member of the yam family, this oneproduces tubers along its climbing growths andnot surprisingly is known as the 'air potato'!Arriving in the old palm house you are againback in a more temperate atmosphere. Here, again,are large, historic plantings, many of which youwill not see in many other gardens.A famous inhabitant is the more familiar palmSabal bermudana, though the specimen here is over200 years old! Other giants are the bamboo,Bambusa vulgaris, from India with its thick culms,and a Livistona australis almost 20 ft. (6 m) tall.Very impressive was the tallest Hedyscepecanterburyana I have ever seen, over 16 ft. (4.8m) high and carrying some ripening fruit. This isa favourite palm of mine and one of a small numberof species that I found grows well inside the home.Amongst the rarities are three 'primitive'members of the conifer family, Araucaria hunsteiniifrom New Guinea (planted 1962), Podocarpusmilanjianus from temperate East Africa, andChamaerops No. 4713

Taiwania cryptomenioides. An attractive evergreentree from the cooler high altitude regions ofThailand, Gordonia dalgleishiana, also 'stood out'amongst the plantings.At the opposite end of the 'complex' is anotherhouse worthy of mention, devoted to the collectionof plants that occur at high altitudes in the tropics.It is cool, airy and humid, with logs dripping withmosses and epiphytes, many of which are speciesof Vireya Rhododendrons, such as R.stenophyllum from the island of Sarawak. It carriedlarge, waxy orange flowers on a small bush ofnarrow leaves, each edged in dark red-stunning!Magnificent too is a climber from New Guinea,Tecomanthe volubilis, with divided leaves andmasses of large, pink, bell-shaped flowers, purewhite inside.More sinister is the large collection of insecteating plants that are also grown here. Amongstthese is a huge clump of the 'sun pitcher',Heliamphora nutans from the summit of theTepuis of Venezuela, a plant adapted to aspecialised habitat that is very difficult to cultivate.Many of you will be familiar with the heat lovinggenus of 'pitcher' plants, Nepenthes, but may notbe aware of the cooler growing species fromlocations such as the slopes of Mount Kinabalouon Borneo. Three such species are represented,N. fusca, N. sanderiana, and N. rajah that carriesgiant pitchers at ground level.The outside area surrounding the glasshousesis also richly planted with a wide selection of semitenderbulb, perennial and shrub species. Mostnotable were several large clumps of Fasciculariabicolor, almost all resplendent with their scarlet,'autumn leaf' colour. A fine clump, almost 5 ft.(1.5 m) tall, of the species 'busy lizzy', Impatienstinctoria from the volcanic slopes of central Africa,was full of its substantial blooms. Resembling largewhite butterflies floating over the foliage, theflowers make this species nothing like its relativesused in summer bedding schemes. A largeLapageria is trained up a shady wall and was heavywith the large, waxy, bell-shaped blooms that makeit such a prized feature of any garden that it findsto its liking. It is not always easy to please. Notdoing so well was a modest Chamaerops; perhapsthe cooler climate isn't quite to its liking?Between the 'old palm house' andnorthernmost section of the main glasshouse rangeis an area where Trachycarpus and primitiveconifers such as Araucaria, Ginkgo andMetasequoia flourish, no doubt appreciating thehigher rainfall. It is here that one of the 'oldest'plants in the garden can be found. This 10.5 m(35 ft.) long fossilised trunk of a pitys tree wasexcavated from a local quarry, having grown in thisarea 320 million years ago.This is certainly a garden to which I wouldlike to return with enough time to really exploreand appreciate the wonderful range of uniqueplants that are grown there.Top: Glasshouse range with fossil trunk visible in foreground.Bottom: Tree fern house.Photos: Tony King14 Chamaerops No. 47

Chamaerops No. 4715

O n t h e i d e n t i t y o fM u s a s p . ' Y u n n a n 'D R Constantine, Bridgwater, Somerset, U.K.In February 2000, Toby Spanner introducedseed of Musa sp. "Yunnan" into commerce withthe following announcement in his newsletter:Musa sp. "Yunnan" - Yunnan BananaThese seeds originally came in as the rare Ensetewilsonii, the Snow Banana; however, seed shapeand size suggest that the seeds are not Ensete butMusa sp. Our collector insists that the seeds werecollected at very high altitude in China's Yunnanprovince, where Ensete wilsonii usually grows upto 2700 m (9000 ft.). Even with its identity notcleared yet we think this could be a very interestingcold hardy species that would probably thriveunder the same conditions as the legendary Musabasjoo and M. sikkimensis.From the outset, "Yunnan" aroused particularinterest in horticulture because of its hoped forcold tolerance and its graceful, garden worthyhabit. Some were also intrigued by its enigmaticorigin.As part of a wider study, a Finnish Musaresearcher named Markku Häkkinen made acomparison in 2002 of seed and seedlings of"Yunnan" and a Vietnamese banana known asChuoi Rung Hoa Soan (CRHS). Markku foundthat in the physical characteristics of the seed andthe vegetative characteristics of the young plants,"Yunnan" and CHRS appeared to be identical.CHRS was first found in north west Vietnamby an INIBAP/VASI collecting mission in 1994.The plant was given the accession number VN1-054 and in an internal VASI report it was identifiedas Musa itinerans. The precise basis for theidentification is not clear but it seems to have beenmade because of the similar habit in the field ofCHRS and Musa itinerans (Chuoi Rung inVietnam). Musa itinerans is characterised by itsextremely long rhizomes so that suckers pop uptwo metres or more away from the parent stem.This characteristic astonished scientists at theImperial College of Tropical Agriculture inTrinidad who were the first to describe the species.The name of the species derives from this itineranthabit which was also reportedly seen in CRHS inthe field in Vietnam.Markku's work seemed to indicate that"Yunnan" and CRHS were one and the same.Markku discussed his work with Liu Aizhong, aspecialist in Chinese Musaceae, who confirmedthat Musa itinerans was rather common in Yunnan.It seemed, therefore, not to be very surprising thatthe seed collected in Yunnan and offered to Tobywas indeed Musa itinerans. Markku and Aizhong'sconclusion was the basis of Toby's note in hisMarch 2002 newsletter that "Yunnan" was Musaitinerans:With the help of some dedicated "Musophiles"in Finland and China, we were finally able toidentify the banana that we have been distributingas Musa sp. "Yunnan". It seems to be Musaitinerans, a species fairly widely distributed inChina, but as to our knowledge, still very rare incultivation.Doubts remained. The remarkable suckeringhabit of Musa itinerans had not been reported inplants of "Yunnan" in cultivation. Seedlingssuckered profusely, but always close to the parentstem; close even in comparison to other Musa16 Chamaerops No. 47

species. There were other vegetative dissimilaritiesnoted between "Yunnan" in cultivation and thetype description of Musa itinerans in the botanicalliterature. For example, "Yunnan" is a rather waxyplant whereas the leaf sheaths and petioles of Musaitinerans are devoid of wax. The leaf apex of Musaitinerans is truncate and the base rounded whereasthe leaf apex of "Yunnan" is somewhat acute andthe base distinctly auriculate. Musa itinerans hasthe robust vegetative habit and stature of acultivated banana, whereas "Yunnan" has a ratherslender, graceful habit.The type description of Musa itinerans wasbased on plants growing in the open ground inTrinidad from Burmese seed, whereas the featuresof "Yunnan" mentioned here were from plantsgrowing under glass in Europe from Chinese seed.These vegetative differences could simply representa spectrum of types within Musa itinerans.Further, there was no information from Europeanplants on inflorescence characteristics that arecritical in diagnosing a species. Despite theseshortcomings, the apparent differences invegetative characteristics were nonethelessintriguing, and discussion continued. In April2002, in an exchange of E-mails on this subjectwith Markku and Aizhong, Markku providedpictures of the male bud of CRHS taken inVietnam during the INIBAP/VASI mission. Itthus became possible to compare the male bud ofCRHS with that of Musa itinerans. They wereimmediately seen to be completely different.Musa itinerans has a rather plain, convolutemale bud whereas CRHS has an extraordinary,colourful and very distinctly imbricate male bud.In one published report, the INIBAP/VASImission described the inflorescence of CRHS ashaving "bright yellow bracts with distinctive driedup tips arranged spirally on the markedly imbricatemale bud".From the photographic evidence, it seemedobvious that "Yunnan"/CRHS could not be Musaitinerans. Rather, it seemed clear that "Yunnan"/CRHS, was a hitherto unrecognised, new Musaspecies.The discovery of a new Musa in Vietnam(CRHS) would not be very surprising as much ofthat country is biologically, let alone botanically,little explored. However, the discovery of a newMusa in China ("Yunnan") and in highly botanisedYunnan of all places would be very surprisingindeed. Liu Aizhong knows more about Chinesebananas than anyone, from the field as well as theherbarium, and has done much to clarify thetremendous confusion in the Chinese literature onMusa. Yet, Aizhong did not recognise CRHS atall, and neither did another great authority on thebananas, George Argent of RBG Edinburgh.The evidence suggested that "Yunnan"/CRHScould not be Musa itinerans. Then, in August2002, Eric Schmidt published photographs of"Yunnan" flowering in cultivation for the first timeat the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida.This turned the story on its head.Eric published two photographs of theinflorescence of "Yunnan" on the Zingiberdiscussion group Internet site. Eric's photographsclearly showed that the inflorescence of "Yunnan"resembled Musa itinerans and not CRHS. Despitethe fact that the Leu Gardens plants do not showthe long suckers but form "a tight clump with veryslender stalks", it seemed that "Yunnan" was Musaitinerans after all!The identification of "Yunnan" as Musaitinerans seems to be correct, although we are stillleft with some questions. "Yunnan" and CRHScannot be the same species, however similar theseed and young plants appeared to be in Markku'sstudy. Was Markku supplied with seed of Musaitinerans in the first place and not CRHS? It seemsclear that the determination of CRHS as Musaitinerans in the internal VASI report is wrong. Sowhat is CRHS? It really does seem to be a new,hitherto unrecognised species. What is thesignificance of the discrepancies in the vegetativecharacteristics of "Yunnan" and the typedescription of Musa itinerans? It may be significantthat the type was described from a very limitedsampling of the species from Burma rather thanChamaerops No. 4717

from knowledge of the species across its range inthe field. Is it significant that while "Yunnan"suckers freely in cultivation, long, itinerantrhizomes so characteristic of Musa itinerans havenot yet been reported, even on flowering plants of"Yunnan" grown in the open ground at the HarryP. Leu Gardens in Florida? It is possible that"Yunnan" represents a distinct subspecies of M.itinerans. Although the botanical affiliations ofthe plant are not fully known, it seems reasonablenow to treat Toby's "Yunnan" as a cultivar, namelyM. itinerans "Yunnan".Among other things, this story reveals thatthere is still much to discover about the wild Musaspecies of Asia and that we may expect furtherexciting introductions. We await the formaldescription of CHRS as a new species, and possiblythe first to have been "discovered" via the Internet!There will surely be more to come on this subjectin the future.D. R. Constantine maintains a website on theMusaceae at www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~drc and sellsbananas etc. at www.kobakoba.co.ukTop left: Musa itinerans flowering in a field collection (probablyat the Phu Ho Fruit Research Centre) in Vietnam.Photo: Markku Häkkinen.Top right: Yunnan" flowering for the first time in cultivation inthe Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida.Photo: Eric Schmidt.Bottom left: Well grown vegetative plant of "Yunnan" in thegarden of Marc Vissers, Belgium. The waxy pseudostem andbluish hue of the plant, although different from the typedescription of M. itinerans, seems typical of the appearance of theplants in cultivation in Europe.Photo: Marc VissersBottom right: Rain, rain, rain and more of the same! Article seepage 5.Photo: John Kenahan18 Chamaerops No. 47

Chamaerops No. 4719

S u b t r o p i c a l L a k e D i s t r i c tBy Jim Reynolds, Vancouver, B. C., CanadaI was very fortunate to be able to spend a coupleof days this August in the Lake Lugano/LakeMaggiore areas of the Swiss/Italian lake district.These areas have abundant subtropical vegetationand show what can be achieved by generations ofcareful landscaping.Lake Lugano is a lake in southern Switzerlandand northern Italy at the southern foot of the Alps.It is surrounded by mountains and hills whichprotect it from the cold climate that dominatesmost of Switzerland. The area of the lake is about49 square kilometers or 19 square miles. The townof Lugano is located on the northern shore of thelake in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The influenceof Italian culture is evident and Italian is the locallanguage. The population is only about 30,000but it is Switzerland's third largest banking centreand many of the bankers and their customers comefrom Italy. The town is pretty with many narrowstreets lined with shops selling Swiss watches andother merchandise. The major attraction for mewas the constant presence of subtropical vegetationand especially hundreds of mature WindmillPalms. I have never seen so many. They are literallyin every vista - in the town, along the lake and inthe surrounding farming areas. There are alsomany examples of yucca, cordyline, Musa basjooand canna. It is very difficult to believe that one isin Switzerland and not in some part of the tropics.Lake Maggiore is located to the west of LakeLugano and is much larger. It too lies betweenSwitzerland and Italy. It is the second largest lakein Italy and is about 64 kilometers long and 212square kilometers or 82 square miles in area. Ivisited the old town of Stresa on the western shoreof the lake. You can take a ferry from there to theBoromean archipelago consisting of three mainislands: Isla Bella, Isla Madre and Isla Pescatoria.These islands have been in the possession of theBorromea family of Milan since the ItalianRenaissance. Saint Charles Borromea, a memberof the family, was appointed cardinal andarchbishop of Milan in 1560. The family still livesat the Palazzo Borromea, which dominates IslaBella for part of the year, but it is now open totourists. The palace was built in the seventeenthcentury in the Baroque style and has veryimpressive architecture and a large collection ofpaintings and antiques. Again, I was mostimpressed by the formal Italian gardens. Thereare ten formal terraces that tier down to the levelof the lake. The long hedges of yew and cypressenclose the gardens with their obelisks, statues, andcascading fountains and vistas of the lake. Thevegetation is Mediterranean or subtropical withpalms, cordylines, canna, gunnera, taro and somebananas. An even more impressive collection ofluxuriant plants is to be found in the botanicalgardens on the neighbouring island of Isla Madre.My only regret is that there was not enoughtime to visit the nearby Villa Taranta which has anoutstanding garden created in 1931 with plantsfrom around the world. Like the gardens on theBorromean islands, it attracts garden enthusiastsfrom around the world. That must wait foranother time.Top left: A massive, more than one hundred year old Jubaeachilensis at the Villa Charlotta, Lago Maggiore.Top right: Jubaea chilensis on the Isola Madre, Lago Maggiore.Butia and Brahea in foreground.Bottom: The beautiful garden on the Isole di Brissago, LagoMaggiore, with Musa basjoo, Brahea armata and two largePhoenix canariensis from left to right.Photos: Gerard Pury20 Chamaerops No. 47

Chamaerops No. 4721

A G l a n c e T h r o u g h T i m eThe landscape that faced the Coelacanth(1)400-300 million years ago was a dismal one, withlow-growing plants, mosses and lichens. Some 230million years ago, when palm-like plants startedappearing, the earth was already more than 3000million years old(2).By the upper Cretaceous period (90-63 millionyears ago) the first definite palms started appearing,although palm-like fossil imprints date backfurther to the Triassic era. In North America mostof the fossil palms occur in the rocks of the Eoceneepoch from 58-36 million years ago. During thisperiod Sabal-like palms grew in England andFrance. By the time that modern man had gainedsufficient brain mass(3) to appreciate, study,classify and amass collections of palms, they hadalready been in existence for almost 100 millionyears.During the carboniferous age our world was avery different place. The polar caps did not occupytheir present positions(4) and countries that todayare palmless teemed with tropical plants andanimal life. Discoveries of petrified palm trunksin Arizona and Texas and fossil leaf imprints inrock formations in Wyoming betray their existencebefore the breaking-up of the Pangaean continent.The subsequent ice ages, the last occurringsome 12000 years ago, led to their migration andtransformation into the palms we recognize in thepresent day. From Argonne and Aturien de Fuveau,in France, and in the old delta mud and clay underLondon, fossil evidence of Nipadites hebertiindicates that this area was once the home of thepresent Nypa fruticans now restricted to Asia. It isinteresting to note that while the Sabalites retreatedwest (where they are now found) from Venezuela(represented by S. mauritiiformis) to Lousiana(represented by Sabal minor), Nypa emigratedeast(5). Fossil fragments of Chamaerops helveticain France indicate that they did not have to retreatfar to where they presently occur naturally in theMediterranean and North Africa."One important factor for setting the stage forpetrification is the rapid submergence of the trunkand roots (including leaves and seeds) in a bodyof water where oxygen is absent. Anotherimportant factor is deposition in the water of finelydivided sediments such as clay, mud, sand andvolcanic ash."(6)In modern times, the palm in its diversity hasbecome for millions of people a major source offood. Some varieties have been improved byselection to supply greater yields, better textureand tastes. Its leaves supply thatch, material forbaskets, ropes, mats and countless everyday articles.>From its fruit, seed(7) and leaves, oils and waxesare obtained. For some it is simply an object ofbeauty to be admired.1 Latimeria chalumnae (old four legs) andthe Lungfish are regarded as the forefathers of theland animals.2 No one can correctly establish the age of22 Chamaerops No. 47

the earth. It begins with basal sedimentary rockformations 4000-3500 million years ago.3 1300-1500 ml4 Coal deposits in Antarctica indicate that itonce teemed with plant life during CarboniferousPeriod. Interestingly, coal is derived from plantmatter, while oil is from animal origins.5 Nypa fruticans also occurs in the estuariesof certain west African rivers (introduced).6 Tuta J. Fossil Palms Princ. 11(2)7 The potato crisps you are eating right nowhave been fried in the oil of Elaeis guineensis. It isalso used in the manufacture of ice cream.Reprint from "The Palm Enthusiast" (Journal ofthe South African Palm Society), Vol. 17, No. 2,2000.S h o pChamaerops back-issues# 46 Spring 2002 £2 / EUR 3# 45 Winter 2001/2002 £2 / EUR 3# 43-44 Sum./Aut. 2001 £4 / EUR 6# 42 Spring 2001 £2 / EUR 3# 41 Winter 2000 £2 / EUR 3# 40 Autumn 2000 £2 / EUR 3# 39 Summer 2000 £2 / EUR 3# 38 Spring 2000 £2 / EUR 3# 37 Winter 1999/2000 £2 / EUR 3# 35-36 Sum./Aut. 1999 £4 / EUR 6# 34 Spring 1999 £2 / EUR 3# 33 Winter 1998/99 £2 / EUR 3# 32 Autumn 1998 £2 / EUR 3# 31 Summer 1998 £2 / EUR 3# 30 Spring 1998 £2 / EUR 3# 29 Winter 1997/98 £2 / EUR 3# 28 Autumn 1997 £2 / EUR 3# 27 Summer 1997 £2 / EUR 3# 26 Spring 1997 £2 / EUR 3# 25 Winter 1996/97 £2 / EUR 3# 24 Autumn 1996 £2 / EUR 3# 23 Summer 1996 £2 / EUR 3Any 10 for just £15 / EUR 22EPS BadgeChrome with colour printing £4 / EUR 6S e n d l e t t e r s , a r t i c l e sa n d p i c t u r e s t o :The European Palm Societyc/o Tobias W. SpannerTizianstr. 4480638 MünchenGermanyE-mail: mail@palmsociety.orgChamaerops No. 47Please send your orders toTony King34, Keats AvenueRomford, Essex RM3 7ARUnited KingdomPalmen in MitteleuropaAnleitung zum erfolgreichen Auspflanzen undÜberwintern von Mario Stähler EUR 15,20To order this item contact: Tobias W. Spanner,Tizianstr. 44, 80638 München, GermanyAll prices include delivery to anywhere in theworld. Payable by credit card (Visa or Mastercard),cheque, or money order.23

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