| Coccothrinax alta | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Coccothrinax |
| Species: | C. alta |
| Binomial name | |
| Coccothrinax alta (O.F.Cook) Becc. |
|
Coccothrinax alta (Palma plateada, Palma de abanico,[1] Tyre palm)[2] is a palm which is native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Like other members of the genus, C. alta is a fan palm. Trees are 2–6 m tall, with some individuals getting up to 11 m. Flowers are light yellow, and fruit are purple-black when ripe. It is found on lower elevations, but to 350 m above sea level.[1]
It is found on limestone substrates in northern Puerto Rico, and on volcanic substrates on the islands off eastern Puerto Rico. It has been recorded from Puerto Rico proper, Vieques and Culebra; Saint Croix, St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Guana Island, Tortola and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.[1]
George Proctor (in Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong, 2005[1]) considers this to be a valid species on the basis of its shorter, more slender trunk, fewer stamens and much smaller fruit. Rafaël Govaerts[3] follows Read (1979) and considers it a synonym of Coccothrinax barbadensis.