PALM FAMILY (PALMAE) 



9. Palma real, royalpalm, Puerto Rico royalpalm 



Roystonea borinquena O. F. Cook 



Puerto Rico royalpalm or palma real is one of 

 Puerto Rico's most characteristic trees, being a 

 conspicuous feature of the countrysides and land- 

 scapes and equally at home along city streets. 

 Known to all, it is characterized by: (1) the stout 

 erect trunk 1-2 feet in diameter, sliglitly enlarged 

 and bulging at some distance above the base; (2) 

 a light green narrow column of leaf sheaths about 

 4 feet high at apex of trunk; (3) large pinnate 

 leaves witli short petiole above sheatli and blade 

 8-12 feet long composed of many narrow paired 

 segments, and the unfolded youngest leaf project- 

 ing as a narrow spire above the others; (4) small 

 whitish flowers, male and female, borne in a spread- 

 ing to drooping twice-branclied cluster 3-5 feet 

 long below the leaves; and (5) light brown, ellip- 

 tic, slightly fleshy fruits about I/2 i'lch long. 



This large robust palm becomes 30-60 feet tall. 

 The gray smoothish trunk usually has a broad 

 base, then is sliglitly narrowed aJid swollen for 

 some distance above, and in tall specimens nar- 

 rowed again toward the apex. There are faint 

 rings of leaf scars at nodes. The evergreen crown 

 is composed of 15 or fewer long, gracefully curved, 

 spreading alternate leaves. The unfolded young- 

 est leaf usually leans slightly toward the east, the 

 direction of the prevailing wind, and thus serves 

 to indicate the directions. 



The leaf blade has numerous leaflets or segments 

 20-36 inches long and only %-l% inches wide, 

 long-pointed, leathery, parallel-veined, green, in- 

 serted on both sides of axis obliquely by 2's and in 

 2 rows on each side, and usually curving downward 

 rather than flat. Upon dying, the oldest leaf falls 

 oft' promptly, separating smoothly from the trunk 

 at base of .sheath. 



The flower cluster (panicle) arises below the leaf 

 sheaths from a very large narrow bud formed by 

 a dark brown boat-shaped sheath (spathe) 3-5 

 feet long. Lateral branches 6-12 inches long from 

 main branches 3 feet or more in length bear many 

 stalkless flowers, male flowers opening and falling 

 first, and toward base the female flower buds, gen- 

 erally 1 between 2 male flowers (monoecious). 

 Male flowers more than i/i inch high and nearly I/2 

 inch across consist of 3 minute rounded whitish 

 sepals less than \\q inch long, 3 blunt-pointed 

 whitish petals 1,4 inch long, 6-9 spreading stamens 

 with purple anthers, and rudimentary pistil. The 

 smaller female flowers Vs inch long and broad 

 have 3 broad whitish sepals less than i/jg inch long; 



tubular corolla % inch long with 3 pointed lobes 

 and bearing 6 short sterile stamens (staminodes) 

 inside; and pistil of yellow-green rounded ovary 

 witli 3 short styles and stigmas on 1 side. 



The numerous fruits contain 1 light brown ellip- 

 tic seed -yifi inch long, hard but oily. Flowering 

 and fi'uiting perliaps through the year. 



Palma real is a stately ornamental widely 

 planted to beautify streets, parks, and gardens 

 throughout Puerto Rico. Boards hewn from the 

 harder outer part of the trunks are widely used 

 for siding and flooring in rural construction. 

 However, they are very susceptible to attack by 

 dry-wood termites. The leaves are also used fre- 

 (luently in construction, less now than formerly. 

 Fresh leaves are widely displayed locally f<n- re- 

 ligious services on Palm Sunday. The dry blades 

 serve as thatch for roofs of barns and houses, and 

 the broad sheaths, known as yaguas, are spread 

 out flat to make sides of buildings. The twisted 

 young leaf segments are woven into chair seats 

 and backs. An important honey plant, the flowers 

 attract numerous bees. The fruits are a good food 

 for hogs. 



Palma I'eal is connnon in forests, pastures, and 

 river banks almost throughout the island from the 

 wet north flank of El Yunque to the coa.stal man- 

 groves and the dry valleys near Guanica. It is 

 found in all but the upper mountains and the dry 

 limestone regions. These palms probably have 

 become more common following settlement, 

 spreading in clearings, pastures, old fields, and 

 fence rows. Also in \'ieques and St. Croix. 



PiniJc FOi{?:sTs. — Aguirre, Cambalache, Carite, 

 (ruajataca, (luanica, Luqnillo, Maricao, San Juan, 

 Susua, Vega. 



Range. — Restricted to Puerto Rico, Vieques, 

 and St. Croix. Introduced at Mona. 



Other cojimon n.ames. — palma de yaguas, 

 palma de costa (Puerto Rico) ; mountain-cabbage 

 (St. Croix) ; Puerto Rico royalpalm, royalpalm 

 (English). 



The generic name honors General Roy Stone 

 (1835-1905), United States Army Engineer, who 

 rendered outstanding service to Puerto Rico at 

 the time of the Spanish- American War. Cuban 

 royalpalm (Roi/sfonea regia (H. B. K.) O. F. 

 Cook*), a related species from Cuba with tall 

 trunk not swollen, has been planted also in Puerto 

 Rico and the Virgin Islands and may have es- 

 caped locally. 



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