Roystonea
Encyclopedia
Roystonea is a genus
of eleven species
of monoecious palms
, native to the Caribbean Islands, and the adjacent coasts of Florida
, Central
and South America
. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named for Roy Stone
, a U.S. Army engineer
. It contains some of the most recognizable and commonly cultivated palms in tropical and subtropical regions.
Roystonea is a genus of large, unarmed, single-stemmed palms with pinnate
leaves. The large stature and striking appearance of a Roystonea palm makes it a notable aspect of the landscape. The stems, which were compared to stone columns by Louis
and Elizabeth Agassiz
in 1868, are smooth and columnar, although the trunks of R. altissima
and R. maisiana
are more slender than those of typical royal palms. Stems often are swollen and bulging along portions of their length, which may reflect years where growing conditions were better or worse than average. Leaf scars are often prominent along the stem, especially in young, rapidly growing individuals. Stem color ranges from gray-white to gray-brown except in R. violacea
, which have violet-brown or mauve stems. The largest royal palm, R. oleracea
, reaches heights of 40 metres (131.2 ft), but most species are in the 15 metre range.
Roystonea leaves consist of a sheathing leaf base, a petiole
, and a rachis
. The leaf base forms a distinctive green sheath around the uppermost portion of the trunk. Known as the crownshaft
, this sheath extends 1.4–2 m (4.6–6.6 ) down the trunk. The petiole connects the lead base with the rachis. Zona only reported petiole lengths for three of the 10 species, ranging from 20 to 100 cm (7.9 to 39.4 ). The rachis is pinnately divided and ranges from 3.2 metre long. The leaf segments themselves range in length from 60 centimetre in R. altissima up to as much as 132 cm (52 in) in R. lenis
. They are arranged in two or three planes along the rachis. Many authors have reported that the leaves R. oleracea are arranged in a single plane, but American botanist Scott Zona reported that this is not the case.
These plants have the ability to easily release their leaves in strong winds, a supposed adaption serving to prevent toppling during hurricanes. Inflorescences occur beneath the crownshaft, emerging from a narrow, horn-shaped bract
. The flowers on the branched panicles are usually white, unisexual, and contain both sexes. The fruit
is an oblong or globose drupe
1-2 cm long and deep purple when ripe.
Some species so closely resemble one another that scientific differentiation is by inflorescence detail; flower size, color, etc.
Roystoneae. The placement Roystonea within the Arecoideae is uncertain; a phylogeny based on plastid
DNA failed to resolve the position of the genus within the Arecoideae. As of 2008, there appear to be no molecular phylogenetic studies of Roystonea One species is known only from two fossil
ized flowers preserved in Dominican amber
which were described in 2002.
Species
in the north, to southern Mexico
, Honduras
and Nicaragua
in the east and Venezuela
and Colombia
in the south. Species are found throughout the Caribbean, although only Jamaica
(with two native species) and Cuba (with five native species) have more than one native species.
and subtropics
. They are considered by many to be the most beautiful palm in the world. Royal palms are very fond of water and thrive on supplemental irrigation
. They also do better in a soil with lots of humus.
Though mainly a decorative plant, royal palms do have some minor agricultural uses. The heart of the palm is used to make salad in some parts of the Caribbean, and its seeds can be used as substitutes for coffee beans.
s in central Florida
, e.g Tampa Bay
, Cape Canaveral
, Orlando. There are even a few north of those areas that are seen to survive but grow slower such as Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. They also will grow - albeit slowly - in favored microclimates in southern California
, southern Arizona
and the extreme southern Texas
barrier island
s near the Gulf of Mexico
, and in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Royals are being increasingly planted on Galveston Island where they do very well and as far north as Houston where individual Royals have grown 20-30 feet tall south of Interstate 10.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of eleven species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of monoecious palms
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
, native to the Caribbean Islands, and the adjacent coasts of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named for Roy Stone
Roy Stone
Roy Stone was a Union Army general during the American Civil War. He is most noted for his stubborn defense of the McPherson Farm during the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early life and family:...
, a U.S. Army engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. It contains some of the most recognizable and commonly cultivated palms in tropical and subtropical regions.
Description
Pinnate
Pinnate is a term used to describe feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in plant or animal structures, and comes from the Latin word pinna meaning "feather", "wing", or "fin". A similar term is pectinate, which refers to a comb-like arrangement of parts...
leaves. The large stature and striking appearance of a Roystonea palm makes it a notable aspect of the landscape. The stems, which were compared to stone columns by Louis
Louis Agassiz
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and a prominent innovator in the study of the Earth's natural history. He grew up in Switzerland and became a professor of natural history at University of Neuchâtel...
and Elizabeth Agassiz
Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz
Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz was an American educator, and the co-founder and first president of Radcliffe College.-Life:...
in 1868, are smooth and columnar, although the trunks of R. altissima
Roystonea altissima
Roystonea altissima is a species of palm which is endemic to hillsides and mountain slopes near the interior of Jamaica. The name altissima is Latin for "highest", however they are not the tallest species in the genus Roystonea. They are usually found just over sea-level to in...
and R. maisiana
Roystonea maisiana
Roystonea maisiana is a species of palm which is endemic to the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba.-Description:Roystonea maisiana is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are grey-white and are usually , sometimes up to , in diameter...
are more slender than those of typical royal palms. Stems often are swollen and bulging along portions of their length, which may reflect years where growing conditions were better or worse than average. Leaf scars are often prominent along the stem, especially in young, rapidly growing individuals. Stem color ranges from gray-white to gray-brown except in R. violacea
Roystonea violacea
Roystonea violacea is a species of palm which is endemic to the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba.-Description:Roystonea violacea is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are mauve-brown to mauve-grey and are about in diameter...
, which have violet-brown or mauve stems. The largest royal palm, R. oleracea
Roystonea oleracea
Roystonea oleracea, sometimes known as the Caribbean Royal Palm, palmiste, Imperial palm or cabbage palm, is a species of palm which is native to the Lesser Antilles, northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago.-Description:...
, reaches heights of 40 metres (131.2 ft), but most species are in the 15 metre range.
Roystonea leaves consist of a sheathing leaf base, a petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
, and a rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
. The leaf base forms a distinctive green sheath around the uppermost portion of the trunk. Known as the crownshaft
Crownshaft
An elongated circumferential leaf base formation present on some species of palm is called a crownshaft.The leaf bases of some pinnate leaved palms form a sheath at the top of the trunk surrounding the bud where all the subsequent leaves are formed.The crownshaft...
, this sheath extends 1.4–2 m (4.6–6.6 ) down the trunk. The petiole connects the lead base with the rachis. Zona only reported petiole lengths for three of the 10 species, ranging from 20 to 100 cm (7.9 to 39.4 ). The rachis is pinnately divided and ranges from 3.2 metre long. The leaf segments themselves range in length from 60 centimetre in R. altissima up to as much as 132 cm (52 in) in R. lenis
Roystonea lenis
Roystonea lenis is a species of palm which is endemic to Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba.-Description:Roystonea lenis is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are grey-white and are usually in diameter. The upper portion of the stem is encircled by leaf sheaths, forming a green...
. They are arranged in two or three planes along the rachis. Many authors have reported that the leaves R. oleracea are arranged in a single plane, but American botanist Scott Zona reported that this is not the case.
These plants have the ability to easily release their leaves in strong winds, a supposed adaption serving to prevent toppling during hurricanes. Inflorescences occur beneath the crownshaft, emerging from a narrow, horn-shaped bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. The flowers on the branched panicles are usually white, unisexual, and contain both sexes. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is an oblong or globose drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
1-2 cm long and deep purple when ripe.
Some species so closely resemble one another that scientific differentiation is by inflorescence detail; flower size, color, etc.
Taxonomy
Roystonea is placed in the subfamily Arecoideae and the tribeTribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Roystoneae. The placement Roystonea within the Arecoideae is uncertain; a phylogeny based on plastid
Plastid
Plastids are major organelles found in the cells of plants and algae. Plastids are the site of manufacture and storage of important chemical compounds used by the cell...
DNA failed to resolve the position of the genus within the Arecoideae. As of 2008, there appear to be no molecular phylogenetic studies of Roystonea One species is known only from two fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
ized flowers preserved in Dominican amber
Dominican amber
Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic. Resin from the extinct species Hymenaea protera is the source of Dominican amber and probably of most amber found in the tropics....
which were described in 2002.
Species
- Roystonea altissimaRoystonea altissimaRoystonea altissima is a species of palm which is endemic to hillsides and mountain slopes near the interior of Jamaica. The name altissima is Latin for "highest", however they are not the tallest species in the genus Roystonea. They are usually found just over sea-level to in...
(Mill.Philip MillerPhilip Miller FRS was a Scottish botanist.Miller was chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1722 until he was pressured to retire shortly before his death...
) H.E.MooreHarold E. MooreHarold Emery Moore, Jr. was an American botanist especially known for his work on the systematics of the palm family. He served as Director of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and was appointed Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Botany in 1978... - Roystonea borinquenaRoystonea borinquenaRoystonea borinquena, sometimes known as the Puerto Rico royal palm, is a species of palm which is native to Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.-Description:...
O.F.Cook - Roystonea dunlapianaRoystonea dunlapianaRoystonea dunlapiana, commonly known as yagua or cabiche is a species of palm which is native to southern Mexico and Central America. It is the only species in the genus Roystonea which is absent from the insular Caribbean.-Description:...
P.H.AllenPaul H. AllenPaul Hamilton Allen was an American botanist noted for his work on the ecology of Central America, orchid systematics and economically important species including bananas. He was married to the former Dorothy Osdieck of Kirkwood, Missouri.... - Roystonea lenisRoystonea lenisRoystonea lenis is a species of palm which is endemic to Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba.-Description:Roystonea lenis is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are grey-white and are usually in diameter. The upper portion of the stem is encircled by leaf sheaths, forming a green...
León - Roystonea maisianaRoystonea maisianaRoystonea maisiana is a species of palm which is endemic to the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba.-Description:Roystonea maisiana is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are grey-white and are usually , sometimes up to , in diameter...
(L.H.BaileyLiberty Hyde BaileyLiberty Hyde Bailey was an American horticulturist, botanist and cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.-Biography:...
) Zona - Roystonea oleraceaRoystonea oleraceaRoystonea oleracea, sometimes known as the Caribbean Royal Palm, palmiste, Imperial palm or cabbage palm, is a species of palm which is native to the Lesser Antilles, northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago.-Description:...
(Jacq.Nikolaus Joseph von JacquinNikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany....
) O.F.Cook - †ExtinctionIn biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
Roystonea palaeaRoystonea palaeaRoystonea palaea is an extinct species of palm known from fossil flowers found in the early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. The species is known from a single staminate flower and a single pistillate flower both preserved in the same piece of amber...
PoinarGeorge Poinar, Jr.George O. Poinar, Jr. is an entomologist and writer. He is known for popularizing the idea of extracting DNA from insects fossilized in amber, an idea which received widespread attention when adapted by Michael Crichton for the book and movie Jurassic Park.Poinar earned a B.S. and M.S. at Cornell...
, 2002 (MioceneMioceneThe Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
, HispaniolaHispaniolaHispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
) - Roystonea princepsRoystonea princepsRoystonea princeps, commonly known as Morass cabbage palm or Morass royal palm is a species of palm which is endemic to western Jamaica.-Description:...
(Becc.Odoardo BeccariOdoardo Beccari was an Italian naturalist perhaps best known for discovering the titan arum, the plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, in Sumatra in 1878...
) BurretMax BurretKarl Ewald Maximilian Burret, commonly known as Max Burret was a German botanist.Burret was born in Saffig near Andernach in the Prussian Rhine Province. He originally studied law at Lausanne and Munich at the instigation of his father... - Roystonea regiaRoystonea regiaRoystonea regia, commonly known as the Cuban royal palm, Florida royal palm, or simply the royal palm is a species of palm which is native to southern Florida, Mexico and parts of Central America and the northern Caribbean. It ranged into central Florida in the eighteenth century but in modern...
(KunthCarl Sigismund KunthCarl Sigismund Kunth , also Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth, was a German botanist...
) O.F.Cook - Roystonea stellataRoystonea stellataRoystonea stellata is an extinct species of palm which was endemic to Yagruma terrace in the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba. The species is known from only a single collection made by French-born botanist Frère León in 1939....
León - Roystonea violaceaRoystonea violaceaRoystonea violacea is a species of palm which is endemic to the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba.-Description:Roystonea violacea is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are mauve-brown to mauve-grey and are about in diameter...
León
Distribution
Roystonea has a circum-Caribbean distribution which ranges from southern FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the north, to southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
in the east and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in the south. Species are found throughout the Caribbean, although only Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
(with two native species) and Cuba (with five native species) have more than one native species.
Uses
Royal palms are widely planted for decorative purposes throughout their native region, and elsewhere in the tropicsTropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
and subtropics
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
. They are considered by many to be the most beautiful palm in the world. Royal palms are very fond of water and thrive on supplemental irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. They also do better in a soil with lots of humus.
Though mainly a decorative plant, royal palms do have some minor agricultural uses. The heart of the palm is used to make salad in some parts of the Caribbean, and its seeds can be used as substitutes for coffee beans.
Cultivation in the United States of America
While royal palms are considered a "tropical" palm, they do grow in favored microclimateMicroclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
s in central Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, e.g Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
, Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, Orlando. There are even a few north of those areas that are seen to survive but grow slower such as Daytona Beach and Jacksonville. They also will grow - albeit slowly - in favored microclimates in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and the extreme southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s near the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, and in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Royals are being increasingly planted on Galveston Island where they do very well and as far north as Houston where individual Royals have grown 20-30 feet tall south of Interstate 10.