Sabal causiarum

Common name

Puerto Rican hat palm

Description

Stems: Solitary, massive, upright stems to 15 m tall and to 70 cm diameter. Leaf bases usually fall away quickly to leave a smooth gray stem with close rings. Leaves: Costapalmate, induplicate,induplicate:
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.
, twisted into several planes with a strongly arching costa,costa:
mid-rib or vein
, to 2 m wide. Leaf segments rigid, with numerous fibers along the segment margins. Petiole bases split. Flowers and fruits: Inflorescences exceeding the leaves in length, arching or pendulous, and branched to three orders. Flowers creamy white, bisexual. Ripe fruit black, spherical, 7-11 mm diameter.

Diagnostic features

Solitary, massive, upright, smooth gray stems with close leaf leaf:
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)
scar rings, costapalmate costapalmate:
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>)
leaves twisted into several planes, petioles with light brown ligulesligules:
a distal projection of the leaf sheath
and inflorescencesinflorescences:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
longer than the leaves

May be confused with

Other Sabal species, but it has the most massive stem of the species covered here.

Distribution

Native to Caribbean islands

Additional comments

This genus is among the most common in and around the Caribbean region and among the few native to the continental United States.

Scientific name

Sabal causiarum (O.F.Cook) Becc.

Family

Arecaceae/Palmae

Synonyms

Inodes causiarum O.F. Cook

Inodes glauca Dammer

Sabal haitensis L.H.Bailey

Sabal questeliana L.H.Bailey