VARIATION IN GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION IN THE NEOTROPICAL DIOECIOUS PALM CHAMAEDOREA-TEPEJILOTE

For Chamaedorea tepejilote in a high evergreen tropical forest in Mexico, seedlings had the highest mortality. Mature plants that did not reproduce in 4 years had a higher mortality than those which reproduced. Mean stem height increment of male and female (mature) plants ranged from 6-12 cm year-1. Individual variation in height increment over 4 yr varied from 0-80 cm. Male plants showed spatial variation in growth rate but not females. Males produced significantly more leaves year-1 (2.3) than females (2.0). Both sexes had different rates of production of leaves among years. Number of inflorescences produced plant-1 was positively correlated with the height of the plants in both male and female plants, but males produced significantly more inflorescences than females. The sexes did not show spatial variation in the production of inflorescences among plots. Males were more constant than females in the probability of reproduction and in the number of inflorescences produced. A few individuals contributed to the majority of the inflorescences produced in the 4 yr. -from Author