Arecaceae FAMILY

Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Calyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana is an evergreen palm. It produces a single, short and usually subterranean stem, though it is reported to be up to 2 metres tall in Costa Rica; the stem is topped by 9 - 21 leaves that can each be up to 2 metres long[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. , 452 Title The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture (6 volumes) Publication Author Bailey L.H. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Publisher The MacMillan Company, Toronto. Year 1919 ISBN Description Rather dated, but it still contains a wealth of useful information. It can be downloaded from the internet. ]. The leaves are gathered from the wild and used locally as thatch.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeCentral America - Costa Rica to Mexico.

HabitatOften forming colonies in wet or swampy forests[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ]. An understorey plant in dense wet mixed lowland forest, sometimes in Manicaria swamps, at elevations of 600 metres or less, mostly at or near sea level[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].