Zombia
Encyclopedia
Zombia antillarum, commonly known as the zombie palm, is a species of palm tree
and the only member of the genus Zombia. It is endemic
to the island of Hispaniola
in the Greater Antilles
. Usually found in dry, hilly areas of northern and southern Haiti
and the northwest of the Dominican Republic
, Z. antillarum is a relatively short fan palm with clustered stems and a very distinctive appearance caused by its persistent spiny leaf sheaths. Threatened by habitat destruction
in Haiti, Z. antillarum is a popular ornamental species due to its distinctive appearance, low maintenance requirements and salt tolerance.
which are characteristic of the species.
The inflorescence
, which is shorter than the leaves, bears bisexual
flowers with 9–12 stamen
s and a single carpel. Fruit are white in colour (although orange-fruited individuals are also known to exist), oblong or pear-shaped, 1.5–2 cm (0.590551181102362–0.78740157480315 in) in diameter and bear a single seed. The flowers and fruit are borne among the leaves due to the fact that the inflorescence
s are shorter than the leaves. Trees can produce 5000 seeds per year, predominantly in July and August.
The species is believed to be wind pollinated
.
. In 1821 he placed it in the genus Chamaerops
as C. antillarum. Italian naturalist Odoardo Beccari
independently described the species in 1908, placing it in the genus Coccothrinax
(as C. anomala). Recognising that it was distinct enough to be placed in its own genus, American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey
erected the genus Zombia in 1931 to accommodate the species that Descourtilz had described. This generated the combination Z. antillarum. In selecting a name for the genus, Bailey noted that
In 1941 another American botanist, Orator F. Cook
, moved Beccari's C. anomala to a new genus, Oothrinax. This generated a fourth combination, O. anomala. Since Descourtilz's description pre-dates that of Beccari, Zombia antillarum (which is based on Descourtilz's description) has priority over Oothrinax anomala. In addition, Cook's name is invalid, since it was apparently never formally described.
In the first edition of Genera Palmarum (1987), Natalie Uhl and John Dransfield
placed the genus Zombia in the subfamily Coryphoideae
, the tribe
Corypheae
and the subtribe Thrinacinae using Harold E. Moore
's 1973 classification of the palm family. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed that the Old World
and New World
members of the Thrinacinae were not closely related. As a consequence of this, Zombia and related genera were places in their own tribe, Cryosophileae
. Within this tribe, Zombia appears to be most closely related to the genera Coccothrinax
and Hemithrinax
, and the species Thrinax morrisii, with the remainder of the genus Thrinax
being a sister taxon to this group. Because of this, T. morrisii was moved to a new genus, Leucothrinax
.
In 1960 Dominican
botanist José de Jesús Jiménez Almonte described a variety of Z. antillarum which was distinguished from the typical variety by its smaller, pear-shaped fruits with a "dirty yellow" colour. he named this variety Z. antillarum var. gonzalezii. More recent workers have not considered this form distinctive enough to maintain it as a distinct variety.
; the zombie fan palm), or latanye pikan, (latanier piquant in French, the spiny fan palm). It is also called latanier savanne or latanier marron. Latanye or latanier is a common term for fan palms in Haiti, so these names ("savanna fan palm" and "wild fan palm") are not specific to this species; they are also used for several species of Coccothrinax
. In the Dominican Republic the species is called guanito or guanillo. These are diminutive
s of guano, which is used for several species of Coccothrinax
and Thrinax
. In his 1821 description of the species, Descourtilz used the name latanier épineux.
. In northern Haiti
is grows along the tributaries of the Trois Rivières between Gros-Morne and Port-de-Paix
, while in south it is found along the eastern edge of the Massif de la Hotte
, between Miragoâne
, Fond-des-Nègres and Fond-des-Blancs. The species also occurs in northwestern parts of the Dominican Republic
, between Dajabón
, Jarabacoa
, the Sierra de Yamasá, Puerto Plata and Gaspar Hernández
. It grows in dry hilly regions at low elevation, usually on slopes and ridges but is generally absent from the valley bottoms. In the Dominican Republic it is found from sea level
up to 450 metres (1,476.4 ft) above sea level. Zombia antillarum is associated with serpentine soil
s, but is also found on calcareous
soils. In Haiti, Z. antillarum grows in association with a variety of other palms, including Coccothrinax argentea
, Bactris plumeriana
, Roystonea borinquena
, Sabal causiarum
and S. domingensis
. In the Dominican Republic it grows in association with Pinus occidentalis, Calyptronoma rivalis
, R. borinquena, S. domingensis, Copernicia berteroana
and C. argentea.
, a 2007 review of the status of West Indian palms classified Zombia antillarum as vulnerable
based on a projected loss of 10% of the population over the next century. In Haiti, the species is threatened by habitat destruction
when land is cleared for agriculture. Seedlings can also be destroyed when they are browsed
by livestock
.
, and is valued for its unusual appearance, low maintenance requirements, small stature and salt tolerance, and is recommended for low-maintenance landscaping in South Florida. Leaves of Z. antillarum are used to weave hats and make brooms and the seeds, which have a protein
content of 2.8–4.9%, are used to feed pigs. South of Sabaneta
in the Dominican Republic the petiole
s are reportedly "used to mix manioc flour for making cassava bread."
In 1821 Michel Étienne Descourtilz
reported that the wood was used for snuff box
es and tobacco cases, that the kernel of the seed was used to treat scurvy
, and that the sap had been used by Carib Amerindians "for its powerful properties".
Fabienne Boncy Taylor and Joel C. Timyan explored the connection between the "zombie palm" and beliefs about zombies. They found that oil extracted from the seeds is has been described as a "sense-activator" by one ethnographic source
and can be used to "awaken" a zombie
, and that a dwelling with thatch made from the leaves of the plant could prevent zombies from being used to spy on its occupants. Other sources, however, were reportedly unaware of this these uses. Taylor and Timyan concluded that
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...
and the only member of the genus Zombia. It is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola 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...
in the Greater Antilles
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles are one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico, the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.-Greater Antilles in context :The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as...
. Usually found in dry, hilly areas of northern and southern Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and the northwest of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Z. antillarum is a relatively short fan palm with clustered stems and a very distinctive appearance caused by its persistent spiny leaf sheaths. Threatened by habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
in Haiti, Z. antillarum is a popular ornamental species due to its distinctive appearance, low maintenance requirements and salt tolerance.
Description
Zombia antillarum is a small palm which grows in dense, multi-stemmed clumps with stems up to 3 metres (10 ft) tall and 5 centimetres (2 in) in diameter. Individuals bear nine to 12 fan-shaped (or palmate) leaves which are greyish-white on the lower surface. The leaf sheaths remain attached to the stem after the leaf drops off. The intervening tissue gradually degrades, and the woody vascular tissue splits, forming the spinesThorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
which are characteristic of the species.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
, which is shorter than the leaves, bears bisexual
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
flowers with 9–12 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and a single carpel. Fruit are white in colour (although orange-fruited individuals are also known to exist), oblong or pear-shaped, 1.5–2 cm (0.590551181102362–0.78740157480315 in) in diameter and bear a single seed. The flowers and fruit are borne among the leaves due to the fact that the inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are shorter than the leaves. Trees can produce 5000 seeds per year, predominantly in July and August.
The species is believed to be wind pollinated
Anemophily
Anemophily or wind pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind. Anemophilous plants may be either gymnosperms or angiosperms ....
.
Taxonomy
Zombia is a monotypic genus—it includes only one species, Z. antillarum. The earliest description of the species is found in the work of French physician and botanist Michel Étienne DescourtilzMichel Étienne Descourtilz
Michel Étienne Descourtilz , was a French physician, botanist and historiographer of the Haitian revolution....
. In 1821 he placed it in the genus Chamaerops
Chamaerops
Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae , comprising a single species Chamaerops humilis , representative of the Pre-Pliocene paleo-tropical ancestral lineages in the area.-Distribution:It is the only palm species native to continental Europe...
as C. antillarum. Italian naturalist Odoardo Beccari
Odoardo Beccari
Odoardo 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...
independently described the species in 1908, placing it in the genus Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax is a genus of palms in the Arecaceae family. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and sub-species. A new species has been described as recently as 2006. Many of the Coccothrinax have silver or thatch, or both, in their English common names...
(as C. anomala). Recognising that it was distinct enough to be placed in its own genus, American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey
Liberty Hyde Bailey
Liberty Hyde Bailey was an American horticulturist, botanist and cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.-Biography:...
erected the genus Zombia in 1931 to accommodate the species that Descourtilz had described. This generated the combination Z. antillarum. In selecting a name for the genus, Bailey noted that
In 1941 another American botanist, Orator F. Cook
Orator F. Cook
Orator Fuller Cook was an American botanist, entomologist, and agronomist. Cook, born in Clyde, New York in 1867, graduated from Syracuse University in 1890. He worked for one year as an instructor at Syracuse. In 1891 Cook became a special agent of the New York State Colonization Society. He...
, moved Beccari's C. anomala to a new genus, Oothrinax. This generated a fourth combination, O. anomala. Since Descourtilz's description pre-dates that of Beccari, Zombia antillarum (which is based on Descourtilz's description) has priority over Oothrinax anomala. In addition, Cook's name is invalid, since it was apparently never formally described.
In the first edition of Genera Palmarum (1987), Natalie Uhl and John Dransfield
John Dransfield
John Dransfield is an honorary research fellow and former head of palm research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, as well as being an authority on the phylogenetic classification of palms....
placed the genus Zombia in the subfamily Coryphoideae
Coryphoideae
Coryphoideae is a subfamily of the palm tree family, Arecaceae....
, the tribe
Tribe (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...
Corypheae
Corypheae
Corypheae is a tribe of palm trees in the subfamily Coryphoideae. The extinct palm Palaeoraphe is placed into the subtribe Livistoninae....
and the subtribe Thrinacinae using Harold E. Moore
Harold E. Moore
Harold 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...
's 1973 classification of the palm family. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed that the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
and New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
members of the Thrinacinae were not closely related. As a consequence of this, Zombia and related genera were places in their own tribe, Cryosophileae
Cryosophileae
Cryosophileae is a tribe of palms in the subfamily Coryphoideae. The tribe ranges from southern South America, through Central America, into Mexico and the Caribbean...
. Within this tribe, Zombia appears to be most closely related to the genera Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax is a genus of palms in the Arecaceae family. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and sub-species. A new species has been described as recently as 2006. Many of the Coccothrinax have silver or thatch, or both, in their English common names...
and Hemithrinax
Hemithrinax
Hemithrinax is a genus of palms which is endemic to eastern Cuba....
, and the species Thrinax morrisii, with the remainder of the genus Thrinax
Thrinax
Thrinax is a genus in the palm family, native to the wider Caribbean. It is closely related to the genera Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax and Zombia. Flowers are small and bisexual, and are borne on small stalks....
being a sister taxon to this group. Because of this, T. morrisii was moved to a new genus, Leucothrinax
Leucothrinax
Leucothrinax morrisii, the Key thatch palm, is a small palm which is native to the Greater Antilles, northern Lesser Antilles, The Bahamas and the Florida Keys. Until 2008 it was known as Thrinax morrisii. It was split from the genus Thrinax after phylogenetic studies showed that its inclusion in...
.
In 1960 Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
botanist José de Jesús Jiménez Almonte described a variety of Z. antillarum which was distinguished from the typical variety by its smaller, pear-shaped fruits with a "dirty yellow" colour. he named this variety Z. antillarum var. gonzalezii. More recent workers have not considered this form distinctive enough to maintain it as a distinct variety.
Common names
Zombia antillarum is called the "Zombie palm" or "Zombi palm" by horticulturists. Orator F. Cook coined the name "Haitian cactus palm" due to the spiny appearance of its trunk. In Haiti it is usually known as latanye zombi (latanier zombi in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
; the zombie fan palm), or latanye pikan, (latanier piquant in French, the spiny fan palm). It is also called latanier savanne or latanier marron. Latanye or latanier is a common term for fan palms in Haiti, so these names ("savanna fan palm" and "wild fan palm") are not specific to this species; they are also used for several species of Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax is a genus of palms in the Arecaceae family. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and sub-species. A new species has been described as recently as 2006. Many of the Coccothrinax have silver or thatch, or both, in their English common names...
. In the Dominican Republic the species is called guanito or guanillo. These are diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
s of guano, which is used for several species of Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax
Coccothrinax is a genus of palms in the Arecaceae family. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and sub-species. A new species has been described as recently as 2006. Many of the Coccothrinax have silver or thatch, or both, in their English common names...
and Thrinax
Thrinax
Thrinax is a genus in the palm family, native to the wider Caribbean. It is closely related to the genera Coccothrinax, Hemithrinax and Zombia. Flowers are small and bisexual, and are borne on small stalks....
. In his 1821 description of the species, Descourtilz used the name latanier épineux.
Distribution
Zombia antillarum is endemic to the island of HispaniolaHispaniola
Hispaniola 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...
. In northern Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
is grows along the tributaries of the Trois Rivières between Gros-Morne and Port-de-Paix
Port-de-Paix
Port-de-Paix is a city and the capital of the département of Nord-Ouest in Haïti on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of 250,000 ....
, while in south it is found along the eastern edge of the Massif de la Hotte
Massif de la Hotte
The Massif de la Hotte is a mountain range in southwestern Haiti, on the far-western end of the Tiburon Peninsula. The region is relatively remote and is one of the most biologically diverse and significant areas of all of Hispaniola. It also supports some of the last stands of Haiti's dense cloud...
, between Miragoâne
Miragoane
Miragoâne is a coastal town in western Haïti and the capital of the Nippes Department. It is regarded as one of the major ports in the trade in used goods. Bales of used clothing, shoes, appliances and used cars arrive at the port from Miami and other U.S. cities. Local merchants in the informal...
, Fond-des-Nègres and Fond-des-Blancs. The species also occurs in northwestern parts of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, between Dajabón
Dajabón
Dajabón is a province of the Dominican Republic, on the border with Haiti. Its capital city is also called Dajabón.It was split from Monte Cristi province in 1938, and was called Libertador until 1961.-Location:...
, Jarabacoa
Jarabacoa
Jarabacoa is a town and the second largest municipality in La Vega Province, Dominican Republic.- History :In 1805, during the Haitian invasion of the Cibao, survivors from the massacres of Santiago de los Caballeros and La Vega escaped to the mountains of the Cordillera Central and settled in the...
, the Sierra de Yamasá, Puerto Plata and Gaspar Hernández
Gaspar Hernández
Gaspar Hernández is a city and a beach in the Espaillat province of the Dominican Republic. It is touristic and full with beaches.- References :...
. It grows in dry hilly regions at low elevation, usually on slopes and ridges but is generally absent from the valley bottoms. In the Dominican Republic it is found from sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
up to 450 metres (1,476.4 ft) above sea level. Zombia antillarum is associated with serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s, but is also found on calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
soils. In Haiti, Z. antillarum grows in association with a variety of other palms, including Coccothrinax argentea
Coccothrinax argentea
Coccothrinax argentea is a palm which is endemic to Hispaniola. It is a medium sized palm Coccothrinax argentea is a palm which is endemic to Hispaniola. It is a medium sized palm Coccothrinax argentea is a palm which is endemic to Hispaniola. It is a medium sized palm (growing about 10 m tall. ...
, Bactris plumeriana
Bactris plumeriana
Bactris plumeriana is a species of palm endemic to Hispaniola.According to Salzman and Judd B. plumeriana forms a clade with B. cubensis and B. jamaicana, the other Greater Antillean Bactris species.-References:...
, Roystonea borinquena
Roystonea borinquena
Roystonea 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:...
, Sabal causiarum
Sabal causiarum
Sabal causiarum, commonly known as the Puerto Rican hat palm, is a species of palm which is native to Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands...
and S. domingensis
Sabal domingensis
Sabal domingensis, the Hispaniola palmetto is a species of palm which is native to Hispaniola and Cuba.-Description:Sabal domingensis is a fan palm with solitary, very stout stems, which grows up to tall and in diameter. Plants have 20–30 leaves, each with about 90 leaflets...
. In the Dominican Republic it grows in association with Pinus occidentalis, Calyptronoma rivalis
Calyptronoma rivalis
Calyptronoma rivalis is a pinnately compound leaved palm species which is found in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Its common names include palma de manaca and Puerto Rican manac. C. rivalis stems grow singly and reach heights of 4–15 m, with stems 15–30 cm in diameter...
, R. borinquena, S. domingensis, Copernicia berteroana
Copernicia berteroana
Copernicia berteroana is a palm which is endemic to Hispaniola; it is also reported from Curaçao, but probably as a cultivated species. Like other members of this genus, C. berteroana is a fan palm. Trees are 4 to 5 metres tall with stems 20 centimetres in diameter. The fruit is black, 2...
and C. argentea.
Conservation status
Although listed as "not threatened" in the 2006 IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, a 2007 review of the status of West Indian palms classified Zombia antillarum as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
based on a projected loss of 10% of the population over the next century. In Haiti, the species is threatened by habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
when land is cleared for agriculture. Seedlings can also be destroyed when they are browsed
Browsing (predation)
Browsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high growing, generally woody, plants such as shrubs. This is contrasted with grazing, usually associated with animals feeding on grass or other low vegetation...
by livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
Uses
The plant is a popular ornamentalOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, and is valued for its unusual appearance, low maintenance requirements, small stature and salt tolerance, and is recommended for low-maintenance landscaping in South Florida. Leaves of Z. antillarum are used to weave hats and make brooms and the seeds, which have a protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
content of 2.8–4.9%, are used to feed pigs. South of Sabaneta
San Ignacio de Sabaneta
San Ignacio de Sabaneta is the capital and a municipality of Santiago Rodriguez in the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic. It is usually called only Sabaneta or Santiago Rodríguez.-Population:...
in the Dominican Republic the 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...
s are reportedly "used to mix manioc flour for making cassava bread."
In 1821 Michel Étienne Descourtilz
Michel Étienne Descourtilz
Michel Étienne Descourtilz , was a French physician, botanist and historiographer of the Haitian revolution....
reported that the wood was used for snuff box
Snuff Box
Snuff Box is a BBC Three British dark comedy starring and written by Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher with additional material by Nick Gargano. It first aired on Monday 27 February 2006....
es and tobacco cases, that the kernel of the seed was used to treat scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
, and that the sap had been used by Carib Amerindians "for its powerful properties".
Fabienne Boncy Taylor and Joel C. Timyan explored the connection between the "zombie palm" and beliefs about zombies. They found that oil extracted from the seeds is has been described as a "sense-activator" by one ethnographic source
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
and can be used to "awaken" a zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
, and that a dwelling with thatch made from the leaves of the plant could prevent zombies from being used to spy on its occupants. Other sources, however, were reportedly unaware of this these uses. Taylor and Timyan concluded that