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 760 metres (2,490 ft) in elevation.
| Roystonea altissima | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Roystonea |
| Species: | R. altissima |
| Binomial name | |
| Roystonea altissima | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Palma altissima Mill. | |
Description
Roystonea altissima is a large palm which reaches heights of 20 metres (66 ft). Stems are grey-brown and range from 25.5–35 centimetres (10.0–13.8 in) in diameter. The upper portion of the stem is encircled by leaf sheaths, forming a green portion known as the crownshaft which is normally 1.4–1.6 m (4.6–5.2 ft) long. Individuals have about 15 leaves with 4-metre (13 ft) rachises; the leaves hang well horizontal. The 1.2 m (3.9 ft) inflorescences bear violet male and female flowers. Fruit are 11.4–15.3 millimetres (0.45–0.60 in) long and 7.2–10.4 mm (0.28–0.41 in) wide, and are black when ripe.[2]
Taxonomy
Roystonea is placed in the subfamily Arecoideae and the tribe Roystoneae.[3] 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.[4] As of 2008, there appear to be no molecular phylogenetic studies of Roystonea[3] and the relationship between R. altissima and the rest of the genus is uncertain.
The species was first described by Scottish botanist Philip Miller as Palma altissima.[5] The species was largely overlooked for the next 180 years until American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey took a look at the royal palms as a whole. Apparently unaware of Miller's description, Bailey applied a new name, Roystonea jamaicana, to the species. In 1963 Harold E. Moore synonymised Bailey's species with Miller's and proposed a new combination, R. altissima.[2]
Common names
Roystonea altissima is known as the "Jamaican cabbage tree", "Jamaican royal palm" or the "mountain cabbage palm".[2]
References
- "Roystonea altissima". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
- Zona, Scott (December 1996). "Roystonea (Arecaceae: Arecoideae)". Flora Neotropica. 71: 1–35.
- Roncal, Julissa; Scott Zona; Carl E. Lewis (2008). "Molecular Phylogenetic Studies of Caribbean Palms (Arecaceae) and Their Relationships to Biogeography and Conservation". The Botanical Review. 74 (1): 78–102. doi:10.1007/s12229-008-9005-9.
- Asmussen, Conny B.; John Dransfield; Vinnie Deickmann; Anders S. Barfod; Jean-Christophe Pintaud; William J. Baker (2006). "A new subfamily classification of the palm family (Arecaceae): evidence from plastid DNA phylogeny". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 151 (1): 15–38. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2006.00521.x.
- Miller, Philip (1768). The Gardeners Dictionary: Containing the Best and Newest Methods of Cultivating and Improving The Kitchen, Fruit, Flower Garden, and Nursery; As also for Performing The Practical Parts of Agriculture: Including the Management of Vineyards, With The Methods of Making and Preserving Wine, According to the present Practice of The most skilful Vignerons in the several Wine Countries in Europe. Together With Directions for Propagating and Improving, From Real Practice and Experience, All Sorts of Timber Trees (Eighth ed.). London: Printed for the Author.
Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-558-6 / ISBN 978-0-88192-558-6 (Page 441-442)