Palms   Trithrinax campestris in Argentina

Common Names: Caranday (local name) The meaning of the words Caranda-i and Caranday are different in the old indians language, and for it, Trithrinax campestris is called Caranday and Copernicia alba is called Caranda-i. Distribution & Habitat: Trithrinax campestris is endemic to Argentina. It grows in a large area in the mountains in Cordoba and San Luis Provinces, in the center of the country. and on the plains; south of the Province of Corrientes, north of Entre Ros and east of Santa Fe provinces. Several variations occur in height and size of the trunk and in the color of the leaves. Description: In general, this species has one or more trunks 12 - 20cm in diameter and between 2 - 5m in high covered by the old leaves. The palmate leaves are green grizzly, hard and with petioles up to 60cm long. Fruits are brown to yellow when mature and the seeds germinate easily if fresh. Like the other Trithrinax species, the seed first grows a long root searching for water, after which the initial single seedling leaf grows very slowly. General: With Jubaea chilensis , this is the most cold-resistant palm of South America, tolerating -15°C.

Figure 1. T. campestris in habitat,Argentina.

Figure 2. T. campestris in Cerro Cienaga near "La Argentina town", Minas departament, Cordoba, Argentina.

Figure 3. T. campestris in Cerro Poca, near the town of "Ojo de Agua de Totox", Minas departament, Cordoba, Argentina.

Contributed by:	José Grassia and Alberto Ferrari (Text)
	Gaston Torres Verra, Cordoba, Argentina (Figure 1,2&3)

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