Sabal bermudana

Last updated

Sabal bermudana
Sabal-bermudana.jpg
Individual in a Spanish botanical garden
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Sabal
Species:
S. bermudana
Binomial name
Sabal bermudana
Synonyms [2]
  • Inodes princeps(Becc.) Cif. & Giacom.
  • Sabal beccarianaL.H.Bailey
  • Sabal princepsBecc.

Sabal bermudana, commonly known as the Bermuda palmetto or bibby-tree, is one of 15 species of palm trees in the genus Sabal and is endemic to Bermuda although reportedly naturalized in the Leeward Islands. [3] It was greatly affected by the introduction of non-native plants such as the Chinese fan palm, which created competition for space that it usually lost. [4]

Contents

Description

Sabal bermudana grows up to 25 m (82 ft) in height, with the occasional old tree growing up to 30 m (100 ft) in height, with a trunk up to 55 cm (22 in) in diameter. It is a fan palm (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. Each leaf is 1.5–2 m (4.9–6.6 ft) long, with 45-60 leaflets up to 75 cm (30 in) long. The flowers are yellowish-white, 5 mm (0.20 in) across, produced in large panicles up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long, extending out beyond the leaves. The fruit is a deep brown to black drupe about 1 cm (0.4 in) long containing a single seed. It is extremely salt-tolerant and is often seen growing near the Atlantic Ocean coast in Bermuda, and also frost-tolerant, surviving short periods of temperatures as low as -14 °C, although no such temperatures have ever occurred in Bermuda. [5]

Uses

Bermudians used to use, for a short period, the leaflets of the palm to weave into hats and export them to the United Kingdom and other countries. Sabal bermudana also had holes drilled into its trunk and sap extracted to make "bibby", a strong alcoholic beverage.

During the 17th century, most houses in Bermuda had palmetto-thatched roofs.

Related Research Articles

<i>Serenoa</i> Species of palm tree

Serenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto, is a small palm, growing to a maximum height around 200–300 cm (6.6–9.8 ft).

<i>Rhapidophyllum</i> Genus of palms

Rhapidophyllum hystrix, the needle palm, is a palm native to coastal margins of the subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Populations can be found from coastal southeast South Carolina, southward to Florida and west across the coastal plain of Mississippi and southern Alabama. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms in the world, and can be found growing in several areas with warm temperate climates.

<i>Trachycarpus fortunei</i> Species of palm

Trachycarpus fortunei, the Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm or Chusan palm, is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India.

<i>Conocarpus erectus</i> Species of flowering plant

Conocarpus erectus, commonly called buttonwood or button mangrove, is a species of mangrove shrub in the family Combretaceae. It grows on shorelines in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.

<i>Sabal minor</i> Species of palm

Sabal minor, commonly known as the dwarf palmetto, is a small species of palm. It is native to the deep southeastern and south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. It is naturally found in a diversity of habitats, including maritime forests, swamps, floodplains, and occasionally on drier sites. It is often found growing in calcareous marl soil. Sabal minor is one of the most frost and cold tolerant among North American palms.

<i>Zamia furfuracea</i> Species of cycad

Zamia furfuracea is a cycad endemic to southeastern Veracruz state in eastern Mexico.

<i>Washingtonia filifera</i> Species of palm tree

Washingtonia filifera, the desert fan palm, California fan palm, or California palm, is a flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the far southwestern United States and Baja California, Mexico. Growing to 15–20 m (49–66 ft) tall by 3–6 m (10–20 ft) broad, it is an evergreen monocot with a tree-like growth habit. It has a sturdy, columnar trunk and waxy, fan-shaped (palmate) leaves.

<i>Chamaerops</i> Genus of palms

Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. It contains only one species, Chamaerops humilis, variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy palms and is used in landscaping in temperate climates.

<i>Phoenix canariensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Phoenix canariensis, the Canary Island date palm or pineapple palm, is a species of flowering plant in the palm family Arecaceae, native to the Canary Islands off the coast of Northwestern Africa. It is a relative of Phoenix dactylifera, the true date palm. It is the natural symbol of the Canary Islands, together with the canary Serinus canaria. Mature P. canariensis are often used in ornamental landscaping and are collected and transplanted to their new planting location. A Canary Island date palm with 10 m (30 ft) of trunk is about 60 years of age.

<i>Sabal palmetto</i> Species of plant

Sabal palmetto, also known as cabbage palm, cabbage palmetto, sabal palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, Garfield's tree, and swamp cabbage, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm. It is native to the Southern United States, the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, and the West Indies.

<i>Sabal domingensis</i> Species of plant

Sabal domingensis, the Hispaniola palmetto, is a species of palm which is native to Hispaniola and Cuba.

<i>Sabal causiarum</i> Species of plant

Sabal causiarum, commonly known as the Puerto Rico palmetto or Puerto Rican hat palm, is a species of palm which is native to Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands. As its common and scientific names suggest, its leaves are used in the manufacture of "straw" hats.

<i>Sabal etonia</i> Species of palm

Sabal etonia, commonly known as the scrub palmetto is a species of palm. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where it is found in Florida sand pine scrub communities.

<i>Sabal mexicana</i> Species of palm

Sabal mexicana is a species of palm tree that is native to far southern North America. Common names include Rio Grande palmetto, Mexican palmetto, Texas palmetto, Texas sabal palm, palmetto cabbage and palma de mícharos. The specific epithet, "mexicana", is Latin for "of Mexico."

<i>Beccariophoenix alfredii</i> Species of palm

Beccariophoenix alfredii, also known as the high plateau coconut palm, is a recently discovered species of Arecaceae (palms), endemic to Madagascar. It is in the genus Beccariophoenix, and is closely related to the genus Cocos. Beccariophoenix alfredii is very similar in appearance to the coconut palm, although somewhat cold hardy, making it a good look-alike for the coconut in cooler climates.

<i>Chamaedorea cataractarum</i> Species of palm

Chamaedorea cataractarum, the cat palm, cascade palm, or cataract palm, is a small palm tree. It is native to Southern Mexico and Central America.

<i>Sabal</i> Birmingham Palm cultivar

Sabal 'Birmingham' is a seed-propagated selection of palmetto, of unknown origin and widely thought to be a hybrid of Sabal palmetto with a yet-unidentified species. It is widely known for its extreme cold hardiness and its slow growth compared to other palmetto species.

<i>Encephalartos natalensis</i> Species of cycad

Encephalartos natalensis, the Natal cycad or giant cycad, is a species of cycad that is endemic to the Qumbu and Tabankulu areas of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, and through most of KwaZulu-Natal. The number of mature individuals of this species is declining and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "near threatened".

<i>Sabal brazoriensis</i> Species of palm

Sabal brazoriensis, also known as Sabal × brazoriensis, the Brazoria palmetto, or Brazoria palm is a species of palm tree endemic to the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States.

References

  1. Copeland, A.; Roberts, A. (2016). "Sabal bermudana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T38691A101378743. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T38691A101378743.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. The Plant List Sabal bermudana
  3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Sabal bermudana
  4. Bermuda Department of Conservation Services, Bermuda Palmetto Page. Archived 2010-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Bailey, Liberty Hyde. 1934. Gentes Herbarum; Occasional Papers on the Kinds of Plants 3: 326, Sabal bermudana