| Coccothrinax crinita | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Coccothrinax |
| Species: | C. crinita |
| Binomial name | |
| Coccothrinax crinita | |
Coccothrinax crinita (guano barbudo, guano petate, [2] old man palm, palma petate) [3] is a palm which is endemic to Cuba. Like other members of the genus Coccothrinax, C. barbadensis is a fan palm (i.e. it has fan-shaped palmate leaves).
Like most palms these trees are single-stemmed, between 2 and 10 metres tall with stems 8 to 20 centimetres in diameter. This tree appears wider because of the thatch or wool like fibers on its trunk. This plant has flowers that are small, light yellow, and not showy. These tiny flowers usually cluster on a long stalk that droops down from the canopy; this display can be showy. After these flowers are produced and pollinated, black and purple fruits will appear. These fruits are fleshy, 0.7–2 cm in diameter, and only come in the summer. [2]
Two subspecies are recognised: Coccothrinax crinita subsp. brevicrinis Borhidi & O.Muñiz [4] and C. crinita subsp. crinita. [5] The "short hair old man palm" (subsp. brevicrinis), has shorter and less dense leaf sheath fibers covering the trunk, it can be found in central Cuba.
Coccothrinax crinita usually grows in seasonally flooded savannas up to 500m in size; occasionally in hilly areas. Also, it grows in moist and well-drained soils, preferably serpentine soils or soils with low nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. In habitat, this tree takes an extremely long time to grow; on average it will take 10 years for this tree to grow 5 feet, but it can grow up to 20 feet (range is 10–20 ft). The main pollinator is the wind and fruits are dispersed by mammals like the Coccothrinax argentata species.
Coccothrinax crinita is frequently planted as an ornamental palm and the leaves are used for thatch. [2] This tree is very easy to maintain and prefers growing in partial or full sunlight. It must have well drained, moist, non-clay soils, but it can tolerate basic soils, drought, and growing by the ocean. This palm can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit when mature and sheds its oldest thatch in windy conditions. There are many uses for this palm, including using its fibers for pillows, the trunk for shelter, and the leaves for bowls. All of these uses have played a role in the rarity of this plant, as well as the destruction of its habitat. The species is now critically endangered with only 60 – 130 trees left on the island of Cuba.
Hyphaene thebaica, with common names doum palm and gingerbread tree, is a type of palm tree with edible oval fruit. It is a native to the Arabian Peninsula and also to the northern half and western part of Africa where it is widely distributed and tends to grow in places where groundwater is present.
Borassus is a genus of five species of fan palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Papua New Guinea.
Coccothrinax is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and subspecies. A new species was described as recently as 2017. Many Coccothrinax produce thatch. In Spanish-speaking countries, guano is a common name applied to Coccothrinax palms. The species are native throughout the Caribbean, the Bahamas, extreme southern Florida and southeastern Mexico, but most of the species are known only from Cuba.
Arum italicum is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Araceae, also known as Italian arum and Italian lords-and-ladies. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is also naturalized in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Crimea, Caucasus, Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Argentina, and scattered locations in America.
Coccothrinax argentata, commonly called the Florida silver palm, is a species of palm tree. It is native to south Florida, southeast Mexico, Colombia and to the West Indies, where it is found in the Bahamas, the southwest Caribbean and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Its natural habitat is rocky, calcareous soil in coastal scrubland and hammock communities.
Coccothrinax boschiana is a palm endemic to dry forests on limestone on Sierra Martín García ridge in the Sierra de Neiba on Barahona peninsula in the south of the Dominican Republic. This species was first described in 1997.
Zombia antillarum, commonly known as the zombie palm, is a species of palm tree and the only member of the genus Zombia. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles. Usually found in dry, hilly areas of northern and southern Haiti and the northwest of the Dominican Republic, Z. antillarum is a relatively short fan palm with clustered stems and a very distinctive appearance caused by its persistent spiny leaf sheaths. Threatened by habitat destruction in Haiti, Z. antillarum is a popular ornamental species due to its distinctive appearance, low maintenance requirements and salt tolerance.
Phoenix sylvestris also known as silver date palm, Indian date, sugar date palm or wild date palm, is a species of flowering plant in the palm family native to southern Pakistan, most of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. It is also reportedly naturalized in Mauritius, the Chagos Archipelago, Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands. Growing in plains and scrubland up to 1300 m above sea level, the fruit from this palm species is used to make wine and jelly. The sap is tapped and drunk fresh or fermented into toddy. The fresh sap is boiled to make palm jaggery in West Bengal state of India and Bangladesh.
Borassus flabellifer, commonly known as doub palm, palmyra palm, tala or tal palm, toddy palm, wine palm or ice apple, is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is reportedly naturalized in Socotra and parts of China.
Coccothrinax clarensis is a palm which is endemic to central and eastern Cuba. Its name suggests that it has small coconut-like fruit while clarensis comes from Santa Clara valley in Cuba where the species are found.
Coccothrinax fragrans is a palm which is native to eastern Cuba and Hispaniola.
Coccothrinax jamaicensis, the silver thatch or Jamaican silver thatch, is a fan palm believed to be endemic to Jamaica. A slender palm growing up to 8 metres (26 ft) tall, it grows in coastal areas on limestone or sand.
Coccothrinax proctorii, the Cayman thatch palm or Proctor's silver palm, is a palm which is endemic to the Cayman Islands.
Coccothrinax salvatoris is a palm which is endemic to eastern and east central Cuba.
Coccothrinax spissa, the guano or swollen silver thatch palm, is a palm which is endemic to the island of Hispaniola.
Copernicia macroglossa is a palm endemic to western and central Cuba.
Leucothrinax morrisii, the Key thatch palm, is a small palm which is native to the Greater Antilles, northern Lesser Antilles, The Bahamas and Florida and the Florida Keys in the United States.
Thrinax radiata, the Florida thatch palm, is a medium to slow growing palm in the family Arecaceae. It is native to many Caribbean islands, Central America, and far southern Florida. Its natural habitat is sandy, calcareous soil in coastal areas.