Acoelorrhaphe

Acoelorrhaphe is a genus of palms, comprising the single species Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (Paurotis palm, also known as the Everglades palm, Madiera palm and Silver saw palmetto).^[2][3][4][5]

It is native to Central America, southeastern Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and extreme southern Florida where it grows in swamps and periodically flooded forests. It is a small to moderately tall palm that grows in clusters to 5–7 metres (16–23 ft), rarely 9 m (30 ft) tall, with slender stems less than 15 centimetres (5.9 in) diameter. The leaves are palmate (fan-shaped), with segments joined to each other for about half of their length, and are 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) wide, light-green above, and silver underneath. The leaf petiole is 1–1.2 m (3.3–3.9 ft) long, and has orange, curved, sharp teeth along the edges. The flowers are minute, inconspicuous and greenish, with 6 stamens. The trunk is covered with fibrous matting. The fruit is pea-sized, starting orange and turning to black at maturity.^[6][7]

The genus name is often cited as Acoelorraphe,^[6][8] a grammatical error to be corrected under the provisions of the ICBN. The genus name is a combination of three Greek words meaning a- 'without', koilos 'hollow', and rhaphis 'needle', an allusion to the form of the fruit. The species is named after the American botanist Charles Henry Wright.

Cultivation and uses

The Paurotis palm was formerly plentiful in Florida, but many plants were taken for the nursery trade. The palm is now protected in the wild by Florida law. Trees propagated from seed or by sawing apart the base of a cluster are available in nurseries. It is hardy in most of the Florida peninsula, and salt-tolerant.^[9]

References