136 



The Palmetto 



III. THE PALMETTO 



GENUS SAEAL ADANSON 



Species Sabal Palmetto (Walter) Rocmer and Schultes 



Corypha Palmetto Walter. Chanucrops Palmetto Michaux 



Inodes Palmetto O. F. Cook. Inodes Schwarzil O. F. Cook 



[ABAL consists of five or more closely related species, natives of the 

 southern United States, Bermuda, the West Indies, Mexico, and 

 northern South America; they are readily known bv the fiber-Hke 

 threads which separate and droop from the margins of the leaf-seg- 

 ments, the leaves being palmately cleft with a short leaf-axis, which gradually 

 tapers into the blade, and by the clusters of round, black globose fruits. 



Sabal Palmetto grows in dry or wet situations from eastern North Carolina to 



Florida, throughout the Bahamas and on 

 Cuba; its habitat varies, indeed, from 

 sand-dunes to swamps, sometimes even in 

 flowing water, but it is largest and most 

 abundant on river-banks. The tmnk 

 attains a maximum height of about 20 

 meters with a diameter up to 7 decime- 

 ters, but it often flowers freelv in southern 

 Florida when not more than 4 meters 

 high. The leaves are 2.5 meters broad, or 

 less, often rather wider than long, their 

 numerous narrow segments 2-cleft at the 

 apex and more or less drooping, rather 

 dull green; the leaf-stalks are stout, often 

 as long as the blades, concave on the upper 

 side, with sharp edges. The numerous 

 small, perfect, nearly stalkless flowers are 

 spicate on the ultimate divisions of the spreading or drooping panicles, w^hich are 

 borne among the leaves and either shorter or longer than them; the main branches 

 of the panicles are subtended by tubular bracts and flattened ; the cup-shaped calyx 

 is unequally 3-lobed, its lobes obtuse, about i mm. long; the 3 nearly white petals 

 are oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5 to 6 mm. long, slightly united at the base; the 

 6 stamens are about as long as the petals and united by the broadened bases of 

 the subulate filaments; the ovary is 3-celled, the style 3-angled, the stigma trun- 

 cate. The fruits are small, round black drupes, 6 to 12 mm. in diameter, with 

 thin, sweetish pulp enclosing the depressed-globose brown smooth hard shining seed. 

 The wood of the Palmetto is soft and spongy; it is largely used for piles and 

 other construction under water and made into canes. The terminal buds of the 

 tree are boiled and eaten like cabbage, and the common name Cabbage palmetto 



Fig. 103. Palmetto. 



