Places   Rockhampton Botanic Gardens

Part II

There are palms everywhere. Dominating species include Carpentaria acuminata , Cocos nucifera , Livistona decipiens and L. rotundifolia , Normanbya normanbyi , Phoenix canariensis , Pritchardia thurstonii , Rhapis excelsa (of which there are many old, large and dense thickets) and Roystonea oleracea (Figure 10). There are over 80 species of mature palms, that is to say old enough to produce flowers and set seed, and over 200 immature species. Most significant palms are labelled.

Within most long-established botanical gardens, some specimens will have taken on impressive characteristics related to their considerable age. Two examples are a stand of three enormous Washingtonia filifera and second a large and old Chamaerops humilis .

Figure 5. Immature Livistona sp. 'Blackdown' with Cycas revoluta along the path to the Japanese garden.

Figure 6. Rhapis multifida within the Hugo Lassen Fernery.

Figure 7. The mature infructescence of Schippia concolor showing the split epicarp and the exposed seed.

Quite apart from palms planted far and wide across the Gardens there are particularly interesting plantings close to the office building and within the adjacent fernery. The latter contains many small palms including Rhapis multifida (Figure 6). Close to the office is a specimen of Schippia concolor . This palm has a remarkable way of shedding seeds. The thin epicarp changes colour rapidly from green to cream, develops multiple splits and the brown seed then falls out. Figure 7 shows this in process.

In summary, the palm collection at the Gardens is characterised by the enormous number of mature or nearly mature specimens; and by the very substantial number of palm genera represented there. The Rockhampton Botanic Gardens is a place that all palm enthusiasts should take every opportunity to visit.

Figure 8. Large infructescence of Normanbya normanbyi .

Figure 9. Inflorescence and adhering leafbases of Syagrus sancona .

Figure 10. Roystonea oleracea

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Acknowledgments:	Photographs 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 supplied by Lou Randall.
	Photographs 10 supplied by Peter Lik Photography.
References:	Baker, K.C. (1969). The Garden Story: historical review of a century of development at the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens. Rockhampton City Council.
	Kynaston, E. (1981). A man on edge. A life of Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller. Allen Lane, Ringwood, Victoria.
Contributed by:	John & Jeanne Price (from Palms & Cycads, No. 54 Jan-Mar 1997).