PALM FAMILY (PALMAE) 



10. Palma de sombrero, Puerto Rico palmetto 



Palma de sombrero is the only wild Puerto 

 Rican palm with both fan-shaped leaves nnd a 

 stout trunk. Its main distin,<ruishinsi: characters 

 are: (1) the stout trunk 1-2 feet in diameter, with 

 the split bases of old j)etioles hanging down against 

 it; (2) large fan-shaped leaves witii very long 

 petioles 3-8 feet long and pleated fan-shaped blue- 

 green blades 3-6 feet in diameter, with a definite 

 midrib curved downward slightly, deeply split 

 from margin to middle into narrow segments al- 

 ternating with threadlike fibers in notches; (3) 

 many small whitish flowers %6 i'^fh long in slen- 

 der, much branched, spreading clusters at leaf 

 bases longer than petioles or sometimes exceeding 

 the blades; and (4) rounded brown fruits %-V2 

 inch in diameter and slightly fleshy. 



Small to medium-sized tree to 30 feet tall with 

 stout unbranched smoothish trunk 11/2-21/2 feet 

 thick at base and 1-2 feet in diameter, columnar or 

 slightly tapering upward, and broad evergreen 

 crown of many alternate spreading leaves. The 

 trunk is light gray, smoothish or narrowly cracked, 

 with rings and often with a few holes. 



The stout blue-green petiole, as long as the blade 

 or longer, has a coarse brown basal sheath encir- 

 cling the a.xis and later splitting apart. Concave 

 above and decreasing in width above base from G 

 to 2 inches, the petiole is prolonged as an axis or 

 midrib (rachis) nearly half the length of the fan- 

 shaped or palmately lobed blade. Segments of the 

 blade are 1 14-214 inches wide and as much as 4 

 feet long, stifi' and leathery, parallel-veined, dull 

 blue green on both sides, each split into 2 long 

 pointed strips, with a slender fiber or thread aris- 

 ing from each notch. 



The flower clusters (panicles) are up to 8-10 

 feet long. There are numerous brown sheaths 



Sabal causiarum (O. F. Cook) Beccari 



(spathes) 11,4-21/4 inches long,each bearing a small 

 lateral cluster (panicle) 8 inches or less in length. 

 The fi-agrant white stalkless flowers have a white 

 3-toothed tul)ular calyx \x6 inch long, 3 naiTOW 

 white petals more than % inch long, 6 spreading 

 white stamens less than ^/^g inch long, united at 

 base, and a narrow whitish pistil moi-e than i/g 

 inch long with short 3-celled ovary and stout .style. 



The nmnerous smooth fruits (drupes) have thin 

 flesh and 1 rounded lirown .seed % inch or less in 

 diameter. Flowering and fruiting perhaps irregu- 

 larly during the year. 



As the common names suggest, Puerto Rican 

 st-aw hats are made from the young leaves of this 

 ]jalni, after curing, bleaching, and di-ying. The 

 leaf fillers are employed also for baskets, mats, 

 and luunmocks. The older leaves serve as thatch. 

 Occasionally planted near homes for the leaves 

 and for ornament. 



Found on coastal plains of northern, western, 

 and southwestern Puerto Rico. Formerly grow- 

 ing in groves on the plateau near Punta Borin- 

 (juen in the extreme northwest. 



Raxok. — Apparently native only of Puerto 

 Rico. 



Othkr comjion names. — palma de abanico, 

 palma de cogollo, yarey (Puerto Rico) ; Puerto 

 Rico hat-palm (English). 



Bermuda palmetto or bulltyre (Sahal bermu- 

 ilana Bailey;* formerly referred to *S'. blackburni- 

 anum Glazebrook), native of Bermuda, has been 

 introduced on St. Croix and St. Thomas. It is dis- 

 tinguished by the leaves, which are green rather 

 than blue green, and by slightly larger blackish 

 fruits about % inch in diameter. The leaves are 

 used for the same purposes. 



46 



