Acoelorrhaphe wrightii

Common name

Everglades palm, paurotis palm

Description

Stems: Clustering, upright stems to 6 m tall and 5-15 cm in diameter, covered with old leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
bases and fibers that gradually fall with age. Leaves: Palmatepalmate:
like the palm of a hand; fan palms have palmate leaves that are usually divided into leaf segments arising from a central point, although a fan palm may have entire leaves (e.g., <em>Licuala grandis</em>)
, induplicateinduplicate:
Most palm leaflets or leaf segments are obviously folded. If the folds create a V-shape, with the midrib lower than the margins (so that rain might fall "into a valley"), the folding is induplicate.
, with blade divided more than half its length by numerous, stiff, narrow segments. Upper leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
surface, bright green; undersurface, silvery; leaftips bifidbifid:
deeply cleft into two usually equal parts or two-lobed from the apex; for example, palms with bifid leaves or leaflet tips (e.g., <em>Chamaedorea metallica</em> has bifid leaves)
. The petiole has a lobed hastulahastula:
a flange or collar-like flap of tissue extending from the petiole where a palmate leaf blade joins it; often seen on the upper (adaxial) surface, but may also be found on the lower (abaxial) surface in some palms
and is armed with robust teeth that curve upward or downward along both margins. Flowers and fruits: Inflorescences (ca. 1 m long) are branched to four orders and extend beyond the leaves. Flowers are small, creamy white and bisexual. Fruits are small (1-1.5 cm), spherical, at first orange then black when ripe.

Diagnostic features

Field: Erect, clustering fan palms found in or near brackish swamps; robust teeth along petiole margins.

Lab: Silvery scales on the underside of the leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
blade and visible transverse veinlets.

May be confused with

Serenoa repens: Acoelorrhaphe wrightii is erect with a much taller and more slender stem than the occasionally upright Serenoa repens. The marginal teeth of the Serenoa's petiole are much smaller. In addition, inflorescences of Acoelorrhaphe are longer than its leaves.

Distribution

Native to Southern Florida and the Caribbean in low-elevation, easily inundated areas

Additional comments

Acoelorrhaphe wrightii has been described as both "palmatepalmate:
like the palm of a hand; fan palms have palmate leaves that are usually divided into leaf segments arising from a central point, although a fan palm may have entire leaves (e.g., <em>Licuala grandis</em>)
" and "minorly costapalmatecostapalmate:
a fan-shaped leaf with a midrib (costa) extending into the blade, sometimes extending far enough into the blade to cause it to curve (e.g., <em>Sabal palmetto</em>)
." Look at the photograph of the intersection of the petiole with the leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
blade to see how the eyes of the beholder might influence this description.

Scientific name

Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (Griseb. & H.Wendl.) Becc.

Family

Arecaceae/Palmae

Synonyms

Acanthosabal caespitosa Proschowsky

Acoelorraphe arborescens (Sargent) Beccari

Acoelorraphe pinetorum Bartlett

Brahea psilocalyx Burret

Copernicia wrightii Grisebach & H. Wendland

Paurotis arborescens (Sargent) O. F. Cook

Paurotis androsana O. F. Cook

Paurotis wrightii (Grisebach & H. Wendland) Britton

Paurotis psilocalyx (Burret) Lundell

Serenoa arborescens Sargent