Syagrus weddelliana
Syagrus weddelliana, also known as the miniature coconut palm or Weddell's palm, is a feather palm in the palm family.
| Syagrus weddelliana | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Tribe: | Cocoseae |
| Genus: | Syagrus |
| Species: | S. weddelliana |
| Binomial name | |
| Syagrus weddelliana | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
The palm has a small stature, only growing to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m). In rare cases, this palm can grow to 10 feet (3.0 m), with a trunk diameter of about 3+1⁄2 inches (9 cm). After flowering, it produces small edible fruits that resemble and taste like coconuts.
Distribution and habitat
This palm is native to the State of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil.[1][2] It grows naturally in the rainforests of the region. It is a medium altitude palm, growing in altitudes of 50–800 m (160–2,620 ft). It thrives in the humid shade of the Brazilian rainforests.
Taxonomy
Originally, the palm was placed in the same genus as the coconut palm, under the name Cocos weddelliana, before moving to the queen palm genus, Syagrus, and finally moving to its own genus, Lytocaryum.[3]
Based on morphological and molecular evidence, Larry Noblick and Alan Meerow subsumed Lytocaryum back into Syagrus in 2015.[4]
Horticulture
It is closely related to the coconut palm, but is much smaller and more cold tolerant, taking down to about 25 °F (−4 °C). This palm can be successfully grown in hardiness zones 10b–11. It has been reported that oil extracted from the nuts has been important commercially.[5] This palm should be grown in well draining soil that is constantly moist, but not soggy, as this can lead to lethal root rot.[6]
References
- Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro - Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Noblick, Larry R.; Meerow, Alan W. (2015). "The Transfer of the Genus Lytocaryum to Syagrus". Palms. 59: 57–62.
- Bailey L. H. The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 1928
- Lorenzi, H., Noblick, L.R., Kahn, F. & Ferreira, E. (2010). Brazilian Flora Arecaceae (Palms): 1-268. Instituto Plantarum de Estudos da Flora LTDA, São Paulo, Brazil.