Re: Monkey hand tree?
- Subject: Re: Monkey hand tree?
- From: &* A* O*
- Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2001 17:15:24 -0700
At 04:46 PM 7/3/01 -0700, Nan Sterman wrote:
>Anyone familiar with a monkey hand tree? Broad green leaves, unusual
>scarlet flowers with stamens fused to the petals and bright yellow pollen
>in long streaks, like fingers almost.
Hi Nan -
This tree is CHIRANTHODENDRON PENTADACTYLON. The leaves are very similar
to a large, flat Fremontodendron leaf, perhaps less densely fuzzy. The
flowers are also somewhat similar, usually upturned, five-petaled, more
reddish-orange, and a curious delicate, hand-like floral structure arising
out of the middle (like the
central part of a Hibiscus, but opened on one side and flattened out with
five finger-like tips). It is also called the Mexican Hand Tree. This
plant grows much taller than Fremontodendrons, with a robust trunk.
There is a bi-generic hybrid between this and Fremontodendron californicum
which is called xCHIRANTHOFREMONTIA LENZII, and shares many intermediate
characteristics of the parents. It seems to be large than a regular
Fremontodendron but sometimes with that parent's characteristic off-center
lilt at the main growth tip, creating a very distinctive shape. The
flowers are more yellow orange than Chiranthodendron, and with a
less-pronounced 'hand' that is none-the-less very interesting. This hybrid
tree seems more tolerant of soils and relatively fast growing. It is only
occasionally seen locally so more observation might produce more specific
information.
Sean O.
h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Seán A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean@support.net
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
