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Sabal palmetto

(Cabbage Palm, Cabbage Palmetto, Carolina Palmetto, Sabal Palm)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Chinese:

Gan Lan Zong, Ruo Zong

Common Names in English:

Blue Palmetto, Cabbage Palm, Cabbage Palmetto, Cabbage-Palm, Carolina Palmetto, Palmetto, Sabal Palm

Common Names in French:

Chou Palmiste, Chou Palmiste à Tronc Bleu

Common Names in German:

Palmettopalme, Sabalpalme

Common Names in Japanese:

Parumetto Yashi

Common Names in Spanish:

Sabal De Carolina

Description

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Family Arecaceae

Trees or shrubs [lianas], perennial , branched or unbranched, solitary or clustered. Roots adventitious, thick. Stems woody, subterranean or terrestrial , creeping or erect [climbing ], slender or massive, sometimes conspicuously enlarged and storing starch and water, smooth or covered with fibrous or prickly remains of leaf bases . Leaves spirally arranged ; sheaths tubular , often forming crownshaft , sometimes with ligular appendages ; petioles terete , channeled , or ridged , unarmed or bearing prickles or marginal teeth; hastula (flap of tissue from petiole apex at junction with surface of blade ) absent or present adaxially, rarely present abaxially. Leaf blade palmate, costapalmate (intermediate between palmate and pinnate), pinnate, or 2-pinnate [undivided]; plication (folding lengthwise into pleats or furrows ) ^ - or tent-shaped (reduplicate , splitting along abaxial ridges ) or V-shaped (induplicate , splitting along adaxial ridges) ; segments lanceolate, linear , or cuneate [rhombic ], glabrous or variously scaly , unarmed or bearing prickles (proximal segments modified into spines in Phoenix) . Inflorescences from solitary [clustered] axillary buds, borne within, below, or above crown of leaves, paniculate , rarely spicate , usually branched to 1--5 orders ; prophyll (1st bract on main inflorescence axis ) 2-keeled; peduncular bract(s) (empty bract[s] between 1st prophyll and 1st bract subtending branch ) present [absent]; flowers bisexual , unisexual with staminate and pistillate on same plants or on different plants, or both bisexual and unisexual on same plant. Flowers solitary or variously clustered along rachillae of inflorescence, radially symmetric ; perianth 1--2-seriate; sepals [2--]3[--4], distinct or connate ; petals [2--]3[--4], distinct or variously connate; androecium: stamens [3--]6--34[--1000]; filaments distinct or connate or basally adnate to petals; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed , dehiscing latrorsely or introrsely; staminodes in pistillate flowers distinct or variously connate or adnate to pistil or petals; pistils 1 or 3, distinct or partially connate, each bearing 1 ovule and 1 stigma, or 1 pistil bearing 1--3 ovules and 3 stigmas; styles distinct or connate, short; stigmas dry; pistillode in staminate flower present or absent. Fruits drupaceous or berrylike; stigmatic remains basal or apical; exocarp smooth, warty, prickly, or hirsute [corky or scaly]; mesocarp fleshy or dry and fibrous; endocarp papery , leathery, or bony, sometimes with 3 germination pores . Seeds 1(--2+), free or adhering to endocarp; seed coat thin; endosperm homogeneous or ruminate , sometimes penetrated by seed coat; embryo basal, lateral , or apical, peglike, minute; eophyll (1st seedling leaf with blade) undivided and lanceolate or 2-cleft [pinnate].

Genera 1914, species ca. 2500 (19 genera, 29 species in the flora ) : worldwide, especially abundant in Central America, South America, se Asia.

Although palms appeared in various taxonomic schemes since the time of Linnaeus, the first attempt at a modern phylogenetic classification of the palms was published by H. E. Moore Jr. (1973) . Moore left his "major groups" unranked, and his untimely death in 1980 prevented his completing a formal synthesis. J. Dransfield and N. W. Uhl (1986) gave formal ranks to Moore€™s groups and divided the family into six subfamilies and numerous tribes and subtribes . Their Genera Palmarum (N. W. Uhl and J. Dransfield 1987, 1999) is a model of accuracy and completeness and will long serve the needs of the scientific, horticultural, and resource-management communities. With the advent of molecular techniques and a resurgence in palm research, however, realignments in the classification may be expected, and indeed additional data already require some changes in the current scheme (A. Barford 1991; R. G. Bernal et al. 1991; J. L. Dowe and N. W. Uhl 1989; J. Dransfield 1989, 1991; J. Dransfield and H. J. Beentje 1995, 1995b; A. Henderson and M. J. Balick 1991; N. W. Uhl and J. Dransfield 1999; N. W. Uhl et al. 1990, 1995.)

Modern cladistic analyses place the palms as the sister group to the Commelinanae clade (M. W. Chase et al. 1993; J. I. Davis 1995; M. R. Duvall et al. 1993b), with which they share ultraviolet-fluorescent phenolic compounds in their cell walls and Strelitzia-type epicuticular wax morphology (W. Barthlott and D. Frölich 1983; P. J. Harris and R. D. Hartley 1980) . Palms are currently treated as the sole representative of the superorder Arecanae , order Arecales (R. M. T. Dahlgren et al. 1985; R. F. Thorne 1992b) .

Morphologically the family is diverse and complex (see especially P. B . Tomlinson 1990) . The majority of palms produce a single indeterminate stem with axillary inflorescences; several noteworthy departures, however, also occur in numbers of vegetative and floral axes, position of inflorescence, and displacement of terminal bud. Stems may be solitary (monopodial) or clustered (sympodial), erect, prostrate , or lianoid. A majority of palms have unbranched vegetative axes, although aerial branching, sometimes dichotomous, is known in a variety of unrelated genera (e.g. , Korthalsia Blume, Nannorrhops H. Wendland) . Branching may also be nonaxiallary in some genera (J. B. Fisher et al. 1989) .

Studies of pollination (F. Borchsenius 1997; F. Ervik and J. P. Feil 1997; A. Henderson 1986; C. Listabarth 1992, 1993, 1993b, 1994; A. O. Scariot et al. 1991) indicate that insect pollination, especially by beetles (Coleoptera), bees and wasps (Hymenoptera), and flies (Diptera), is apparently more common than wind pollination. Bats (Chiroptera) play a role in the pollination of some species (S. A. Cunningham 1995) .

Dispersal of seeds is generally by means of animals for fleshy-fruited palms (S. Zona and A. Henderson 1989) . Many species of mammals include palm fruits in their diets (S. H. Bullock 1980; R. F. Harlow 1961; W. D. Klimstra and A. L. Dooley 1990; D. S. Maehr 1984; D. S. Maehr and J. R. Brady 1984), but birds also play a significant role. In the Eastern Hemisphere, Cocos Linnaeus and Nypa Steck have achieved a wide distribution as the result of dispersal by water. For the relationship between palms and seed-eating bruchid beetles (Bruchidae: Pachymerinae: Pachmerini), see C. D. Johnson et al. (1995) .Scott Zona "Arecaceae". in Flora of North America Vol. 22 Page 95. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Genus Sabal

Plants dwarf , moderate, or tall, usually robust . Stems solitary, aerial or subterranean , covered with leaf bases or clean, obscurely [strongly] ringed, becoming striate or smooth with age. Leaves few to many; sheath fibers soft; petiole split at base, completely unarmed ; adaxial hastula well -developed, obtuse to acuminate-triangular; costa present; blade weakly to strongly costapalmate ; plication induplicate ; segments lanceolate, basally connate to connate for 2 1/2 length [or in groups of 2 or 3 segments connate for nearly entire length], often bearing thread-like fibers between segments; apices acute or 2-cleft, stiff or lax . Inflorescences axillary within crown of leaves, paniculate , erect or arching beyond leaves [shorter than leaves], with 2 or 3[--4] orders of branching; peduncular bracts 2--5, tightly clasping , inconspicuous; rachillae glabrous . Flowers bisexual , borne singly along rachillae, sessile, creamy white, fragrant; perianth 2-seriate; calyx cupulate ; 3-lobed; petals 3, imbricate, elliptic , obovate or spatulate , alternate with outer whorl of stamens [basally connate], basally adnate to filaments ; stamens 6 in 2 whorls; filaments narrowly triangular, basally connate; anthers dorsifixed , versatile; pistils 1, 1-carpellate, glabrous; nectaries 3, septal; ovules 3, but usually only one develops into seed; stigma minutely 3-lobed, papillose . Fruits drupes, berrylike, spheroid [oblate or pyriform ] or lobed when more than 1 seed develops; exocarp black; mesocarp blackish, dry to fleshy ; endocarp brown, membranaceous . Seeds 1--3, oblate, glossy; endosperm bony, homogeneous ; embryo nearly apical, lateral or nearly lateral; eophyll undivided, linear-lanceolate. nx = 18.

Species 16: North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Sabal flowers are bisexual and are pollinated mostly by native bees, especially of the families Halictidae and Megachilidae (S. Zona 1987, 1990), European honeybee, and wasps (Vespidae; P. F. Ramp 1989). Fruits are eagerly sought by both mammals (bears, deer, raccoons) and birds (S. Zona and A. Henderson 1989). Sabal minor, perhaps more than other species, is also dispersed by water (P. F. Ramp 1989; S. Zona 1990).Inodes O. F. Cook "Sabal". in Flora of North America Vol. 22 Page 107. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Species Sabal palmetto

Stems usually aerial , 20--35 cm diam. Leaves 15--30, strongly costapalmate , bearing threadlike fibers between segments; hastula acute to acuminate, 5.3--18 cm; segments 55--120 ´ 2.5--4.2 cm; apices bifid2-cleft. Inflorescences with 3 orders of branching (not counting main inflorescence axis), arching , equaling or exceeding leaves in length. Flowers 4.1--6.7 mm. Fruits black, spheroid , length 8--13.8 mm, diam. 8.1--13.9 mm. Seeds 4--7 mm, diam. 5.4--9.7 mm diam. 2n = 36. Flowering spring--summer (northern part of range ) or year around (southern part of range). [source]

Sabal palmetto grows in a variety of habitats , from pine and oak associations to coastal dunes and to coastal marshes (K . E. Brown 1976; S. Zona 1990). Like S. minor, it is polymorphic at the extremes of its range; however, differences in stature, size, and trunk characteristics are not of a magnitude to warrant taxonomic rank. In the pine rocklands of Dade County, Florida, S. palmetto may flower and fruit with little or no aboveground trunk. [source]

Habit: Evergreen .

Flowers: Bloom Period: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. • Flower Color: near white, white

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 30-40' tall.

Habitat

Hammocks , pinelands, river banks, dunes, tidal flats ; 0--40 m (Ref. 53536).

Typically found in the intertidal zone at the water's edge at a mean distance from sea level of 7 meters (23 feet).Standard Deviation = 48.580 based on 61 observations. Terrestrial altitude and ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 12-15' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.1 • Maximum pH: 8.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Chamaerops palmetto (Walter) Michaux
  2. Corypha palma W. Bartram
  3. Corypha palmetto Walt.
  4. Corypha palmetto Walter, Fl. Carol., 119. 1788
  5. Inodes palmetto (Walter) O. F. Cook
  6. Inodes schwarzii O.F. Cook
  7. Sabal jamesiana Small
  8. Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. ex J. A. & J. H. Schultes

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Syst. veg. 7(2):1487. 1830

Name verified on 28-Apr-2000 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 28-Jun-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Sabal

There are approximately 93 species in this genus:

S. 'Birmingham' (Cabbage Palm) · S. 'Riverside' (Cabbage Palm) · S. acaulis · S. adamsonii · S. adansonii var. megacarpa · S. adiantinum · S. allenii · S. bahamensis · S. beccariana · S. bermudana (Bermuda Fan Palm) · S. blackburiana · S. blackburnia (Blackburn Palmetto Palm) · S. blackburniana · S. blackburnianum · S. campbelli · S. carolinianum · S. causiarum (Puerto Rican Hat Palm) · S. chinensis · S. coerulescens · S. domingensis (Hispaniolan Palmetto) · S. dugesii · S. etonia (Palm) · S. extonianum · S. floribunda · S. florida · S. ghiesbrechtii · S. giganteum · S. glauca · S. glaucescens · S. grayana · S. gretherae · S. gretheriae · S. guatemalensis · S. haitensis · S. havanensis · S. histrix · S. hoogendorpii · S. imperialis · S. jamaicensis · S. japa · S. javanica · S. lamanonis · S. longepedunculata · S. longifolia · S. longipedunculata · S. lousiana · S. magdalenae · S. major · S. maritima (Cuban Palmetto) · S. mauritiiforme · S. mauritiiformis · S. mayarum · S. megacarpa · S. mexicana (Oaxacan Palmetto) · S. mexicanum · S. miamensis · S. minima · S. minimum · S. minor (Blue Palm) · S. minor 'Mccurtain' (Blue Palm) · S. minor var. louisiana (Blue Palm) · S. minus · S. miocenica · S. morrisiana · S. neglecta · S. nematoclada · S. oleraceum · S. palmeto · S. palmetto (Cabbage Palm) · S. palmetto (Walter) Lodd. ex Schult. & Schult.f. var. bahamensis Becc. · S. parviflora · S. parvifolia · S. peregrina · S. powelli · S. princeps · S. pumila · S. pumos · S. questeliana · S. rosei · S. schwarzii · S. serrulata · S. serrulata var. minima · S. serrulatum · S. speciosa · S. spp · S. umbraculifera · S. umbraculiferum · S. uresana (Sonoran Palmetto) · S. uresana var. roseana · S. viatoris · S. woodfordii · S. yapa · S. yucatanica

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 22, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-10-04