Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. It contains only one species, Chamaerops humilis, variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms and is used in landscaping in temperate climates.
Taxonomy
Apart from the universally accepted Chamaerops humilis, there are a few potential taxa of unresolved status, plus numerous species synonymised under Chamaerops humilis. The genus Chamaerops is closely related to the genus Trachycarpus. The genera differ in that Trachycarpus lacks the clumping habit (only forms single stems without basal suckers), the spiny leaf stems (spineless in Trachycarpus), and in small details of the flower anatomy.
The species Chamaerops humilis itself has two accepted varieties as follows:
Chamaerops humilis var. argentea André (syn. C. h. var. cerifera) – "Atlas mountains palm" of Northwest Africa. Leaves glaucous.
Chamaerops humilis var. humilis – Southwest Europe. Leaves green.
There also are at least three cultivars: C. humilis var. humilis 'Nana', C. humilis 'Vulcano', and C. humilis 'Stella'. C. humilis 'Vulcano' is a compact, thornless cultivar that may be silvery, but less so than var. argentea. The leaves tend to be thicker, and the appearance of the plant is bushier than var. humilis or var. argentea.
Subspecies
The species Chamaerops humilis itself has two accepted varieties as follows:
Chamaerops humilis var. argentea André (syn. C. h. var. cerifera) – "Atlas mountains palm" of Northwest Africa. Leaves glaucous.
Chamaerops humilis var. humilis – Southwest Europe. Leaves green.
There also are at least three cultivars: C. humilis var. humilis 'Nana', C. humilis 'Vulcano', and C. humilis 'Stella'. C. humilis 'Vulcano' is a compact, thornless cultivar that may be silvery, but less so than var. argentea. The leaves tend to be thicker, and the appearance of the plant is bushier than var. humilis or var. argentea.
