Large-Fruited Thatch Palm 



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I. SMALL-FRUITED THATCH PALM— Tlirinax microcarpa Sargent 



Thrinax keyensis Sargent 

 Thrinax ponceana O. F. Cook. Thrinax bahamensis O. F. Cook 



This palm occurs in southern Florida, throughout the Bahamas, and in 

 Porto Rico, growing on limestone rocks, preferably where there is no loose 

 soil at all, but sometimes in sand, and attains a maximum height of lo or 12 

 meters, with a tnmk up to 2.5 dm. in diameter; it is usually much smaller, how- 

 ever, and is often seen fruiting when only 2 or 3 meters high. 



The leaf -blades are 1.5 meters in 

 diameter, or less, sometimes a trifle 

 longer than wide, and they are deeply 

 cleft into many narrow segments; 

 they are hght green and somewhat 

 shining on the upper surface, and 

 bluish green to silvery- white on the 

 under side, and when young, white- 

 woolly; the leaf-stalks are usually as 

 long as the blades, or longer, slen- 

 der, I to 2.5 cm. wide; the ligule is 

 blunt-pointed. The panicles of very 

 small, white flowers are borne among 

 the leaves and are usually as long as 

 the leaves, or longer; the flowers are 

 borne on very short, disk-like pedi- 

 cles on the ultimate slender, smooth branchlets of the panicel, the perianth-seg- 

 ments 2 to 3 mm. long, the filaments nearly triangular. The white or greenish 

 white drupes vary from 4 to 6 mm. in diameter. 



The leaves are used in the West Indies for thatching and for hat-making. 

 The tree is planted in southern Florida for ornament. Its wood is soft and spongy, 

 the hard rind 12 mm. thick or less, the specific gravity about 0.60; it is used for 

 piles and wharfs. 



Fig. 99. — Small-fruited Thatch Pahn. 



2. LARGE-FRUITED THATCH PALM — Thrinax floridajia Sargent 



This palm inhabits southern Florida, growing on limestone rocks and in sand, 

 and also occurs on Cat Cay, Bahamas, just across the Gulf Stream from Cape 

 Florida. A similar, if not identical species, grows in Cuba. It is closely re- 

 lated to the Jamaican T. parviflora Swartz. 



The trunk attains a maximum height of about 10 meters, with a diameter of 

 about 1.5 dm. The leaves are 1.5 meters in diameter or less, silvery white beneath 

 when young, but becoming pale green when mature, deeply cleft into many long- 



