Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Description

Chamaedorea elegans, also known as Camaedorea, pacaya or lounge palm , is a species of small palm tree belonging to the family Arecaceae. It is very popular as an indoor plant. It is a small palm tree growing to 2 m high with stems thin as the cane of sugar. Its leaves remind the howea forsteriana (kentia), a much more delicate and slow in terms of growth. Its flowers emerge from the trunk as lateral shoots and open in the form of clusters of small balls, without petals or a special color. In specimens used as decoration, these shoots are commonly cut as they are considered unattractive. In the wild, it is found in Belize , Mexico , the Gulf of Mexico , Chiapas . Hidalgo , Oaxaca , Puebla , San Luis Potosí , Tabasco , Veracruz . Guatemala , in Huehuetenango , Alta Verapaz and Petén . Due to its resistance in comparison to the kentia , it is successfully developed in interiors that are lightly lit and does not require heating. Chamaedorea elegans often grows indoors, and was especially popular in the Victorian era , when greenhouses of exotic plants became fashionable . It is native to the jungles tropical America in Mexico and Guatemala . It grows a maximum of two meters high with a slow growth, although faster than the kentia , which can be considered a substitute for decorative functions as it is more resistant than that and more economical. It prefers moderate to high humidity. It can be grown in low light, but grows better with indirect bright light. Chamaedorea (from Ancient Greek ----- (chamai), meaning 'on the ground', and ----- (dorea), meaning 'gift', in reference to easily reached fruits, or the plants' low-growing nature) is a genus of 107 species of palms, native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas. They are small palms, growing to 0.3-6 m (1 ft 0 in-19 ft 8 in) tall with slender, cane-like stems, growing in the understory in rainforests, and often spreading by means of underground runners, forming clonal colonies. The leaves are pinnate (rarely entire), with one to numerous leaflets. The flowers are produced in inflorescences; they are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is an orange or red drupe 0.5-2 cm diameter.Perhaps the best-known species is Chamaedorea elegans (neanthe bella palm or parlour palm) from Mexico and Guatemala. It is popular as a houseplant, particularly in Victorian houses. Another well-known species is Chamaedorea seifrizii, the bamboo palm or reed palm.