SABAL (possibly a native name in South America, 

 but the author of the genus does not explain). Pal- 

 maceae, tribe Coryphese. Spineless palms, low, tall, or 

 almost stemless. 



Trunk slender or robust, ringed or nearly smooth, 

 creeping or erect, ascending at the base, clothed above 

 with dead If .-sheaths: Ivs. terminal, orbicular or cune- 

 ate at the base, flabellately multifid; segms. linear, bifid, 

 filamentous on the margins, induplicate in the bud; 

 rachis short or long; 

 ligule short, adnate 

 to the rachis; peti- 

 ole concave above, 

 the margins smooth, 

 acute ; sheath short : 

 spadices large, 

 elongated, decom- 

 pound, at first erect, 

 the branches and 

 branchlets slender, 

 recurving, pendent; 

 spathes sheathing 

 the branches and 

 peduncles tubular, 



oblique at the 

 throat: bracts and 

 bractlets minute: 

 fls. small, glabrous, 

 white or green: frs. 

 small, globose, 

 black, the short 

 style basal . Spe- 

 cies probably 20, if 

 Inodes is not sepa- 

 rated. Fla. to Ven- 

 ezuela, and in Mex. 

 Here belongs the 

 palmetto or cabbage 

 palm of the south- 

 ern states. The 

 best botanical ac- 

 count of the genus 

 is Beccari's, Le 

 Palmae Americane 

 della tribu delle 

 Coryphese, pp. 10- 

 83 (1907). Most of 

 the species can be 

 cult, in the tem- 

 perate house, but 

 any that may come 

 into the trade from 

 S. Amer. would re- 

 quire stove condi- 

 tions. <S. Palmetto 

 can be grown out- 

 doors from Charles- 

 ton southward. 5. 



texana and 5. exul are handsomer species, and hardy in 

 parts of Texas. 



The arboreous species of Sabal have been separated 

 by Cook (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 28:529) as Inodes. 

 These species also differ in their foliage. "The leaves of 

 Sabal are adapted for standing erect and avoid resist- 

 ance to the wind by being split down the middle. The 

 leaves of Inodes which are held horizontal from an 

 erect axis have attained the unique adaptation of a 



193 (3043) 



decurved midrib which braces the sloping sides of the 

 leaf and effectively prevents the breaking above the 

 ligule." 



The cabbage palmetto (5. Palmetto) grows in groups 

 of a few specimens to several hundreds or even thous- 

 ands in the rich black soil on the banks of the St. Johns 

 and Ocklawaha rivers of Florida, forming a glorious 

 sight. They are found northward to South Carolina, 

 but they attain their fullest development in Florida, 



where they always 

 form an important 

 feature of the land- 

 scape. Generally 

 they grow in dense 

 groups, but they 

 are more beautiful 

 in all their parts 

 where they have 

 room enough to 

 spread. In south- 

 ern Florida under- 

 neath the crown of 

 leaves is often found 

 a dense wreath o'f 

 ferns (Polypodium 

 aureum), which 

 heightens the charm 

 of these palms con- 

 siderably. On the St. 

 Johns the trunk is 

 often covered with 

 the trumpet creeper 

 (Campsis radicans), 

 or it is hidden by the 

 dense foliage of the 

 cross- vine (Bignonia 

 capreolata), both of 

 which form a beau- 

 tiful ornament, 

 especially when in 

 flower. These sug- 

 gestions of nature 

 are often followed 

 by planters who 

 have a feeling for 

 nat ure - like land- 

 scape effects. The 

 cabbage palmetto 

 thrives even in the 

 poor sandy soil, and 

 it is greatly im- 



3516. Sabal Palmetto, the cabbage palmetto of the southern states. 



proved by cultiva- 

 tion. Even good- 

 sized trees are not 

 difficult to trans- 

 plant if the whole 

 stem is carefully 

 dug out and all of 



the roots and leaves are cut off. If the stem has been 

 set at least 3 feet deep and the soil is kept well 

 watered after planting, the palmetto is almost sure to 

 live. In addition to the palmetto, all of the sabals men- 

 tioned in this work are cultivated by the undersigned 

 on high pine land in southern Florida. Under these 

 conditions the sabals have proved a great success, as 

 also all species of Phoenix and all Cqcos of the australis 

 type, while the species of Washingtonia, Erythea, 



