Palour Palm
Chamaedorea elegans

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A slender dwarf palm. The trunk is solitary and woody. It may grow to 3 m tall. The stems are 8-16 mm across. It has many close spaced growth rings. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. They are dark green. The leaf sheaths often have a white edge. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The fruit are 5 mm long. They are black when ripe.

There are about 100 Chamaedorea species. They are mostly in Central America. There are 77 species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in moist dense rainforest. It is often on limestone. It will grow from temperate to tropical conditions. Severe frosts will damage the leaves. It grows from sea level to 1500 m altitude in Central America. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Belize, Canada, Central America, Colombia, Guatemala (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Mexico (country/location of origin), Micronesia, North America, Pacific, Slovenia, South America, USA

How it is used for food

The young unopened flower is cooked and eaten. The fruit are eaten.

Edible parts

Flowers, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Although it is best to use fresh seed, seed can be stored for 6 months. Seeds germinate in 3-6 months.

Its other names

Local names

Chate, Good Luck Palm, Gorska palma, Jilote de cerro, Neanthe Bella, Pacaya, Palmilla

Synonyms

Chamaedorea deppeana Klotzsch; Chamaedorea elegans var. angustifolia M. Martens & Galeotti; Chamaedorea elegantissima hort. in Kerch.; Chamaedorea helleriana Klotzsch; Chamaedorea humilis Liebm. ex Mart.; Chamaedorea lindeniana hort. in H. Wendl.; Chamaedorea martiana hort. in H. Wendl.; Chamaedorea pulchella Linden ex Hemsl.; Collinia deppeana (Klotzsch) Klotzsch Collinia elegans (Mart.) Oerst.; Collinia elegans var. angustifolia (M.Martens & Galeotti) M.Martens & Galeotii; Collinia humilis (Liebm. ex Mart.) Oerst. Kunthia deppei hort. in Zucc.; Neanthe bella O.F.Cook; Neanthe elegans (Mart.) O.F.Cook; Neanthe neesiana O.F.Cook; Nunnezharia elegans (Mart.) Kuntze; Nunnezharia humilis (Liebm. ex Mart.) Kuntze; Nunnezharia pulchella (Linden ex Hemsl.) Kuntze;