Difference between revisions of "Serenoa repens"

Revision as of 08:32, 3 June 2016

Serenoa (sehr-eh-NO-ah)
repens (REH-penz)

edric, Oak Hill FL.

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Serenoa (sehr-eh-NO-ah)
Species:	repens (REH-penz)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

America

Morphology

Habit:	Clustering
Leaf type:	Costapalmate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

Saw Palmetto

Habitat and Distribution

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Saw palmetto

"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.

occurs naturally on the coastal plain from South Carolina to southeastern Louisiana. It grows in a wide range of habitats from seaside sand dunes and dry scrub to moist forests, pine flatwoods and even wetlands. Saw palmetto can be the dominant ground cover in certain southeastern pine forests, sometimes covering hundreds of acres.

Description

Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains just above ground or runs just along the surface (decumbent). In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2-16 ft (0.6-5 m) above ground. The palmate leaves are 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) across and green or bluish green. The cluster of leaves gets about 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) high with a similar spread. In the wild, saw palmetto often grows in clumps 20 ft (6 m) or more in diameter. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 2 ft (0.6 m) long and sharply saw-toothed. The fruits are round, black when ripe and about an inch in diameter. Growth rate: slow. Height: 5 to 10 feet. Spread: 4 to 10 feet. Trunk: showy; typically multi-trunked or clustering stems. Growth habit: Solitary and Clustering. Plant density: open. Texture: medium. Leaf arrangement: alternate. Leaf margin: parted. Leaf shape: star-shaped. Leaf venation: palmately compound. Leaf blade length: more than 36 inches. Leaf color: silver/gray; blue or blue-green or green. Flower color: yellow-white. Flower characteristic: spring flowering; pleasant fragrance. Fruit shape: oval. Fruit length: .5 to 1 inch. Fruit cover: fleshy. Fruit color: black when ripe. Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy. Editing by edric.

Culture

Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun; plant grows in the shade. Soil tolerances: alkaline; clay; sand; acidic; loam. Drought tolerance: high. Soil salt tolerances: good. Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches. Very cold hardy. Saw palmetto should be planted on 3- to 5-foot centers to establish a new mass planting. They make a wonderful ground cover effect beneath existing or newly planted trees. Upright plants can be grown into beautiful multi-stemmed specimens but these are not common and quite expensive. Propagation is usually by seed but seedlings grow very slowly.

Comments and Curiosities

The variety sericea, silver Saw Palmetto, is recognized by some authorities and has beautiful silver leaves.

Etymology: The generic name honors American botanist Sereno Watson.

Uses: The berries of saw palmetto are used as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged prostate gland. They are also used as a diuretic to tone the bladder, improve urinary flow, and decrease urinary frequency. They may help prevent prostate cancer. Saw palmetto berries have always been a valuable food source for wildlife. As their effectiveness as a treatment for various human disorders is confirmed their value has steadily increased. Wild creatures must now compete with human collectors for the saw palmetto fruits. Florida landowners are reporting cases of "saw palmetto rustling" where gangs of pickers move in and strip and area of fruit within a few hours. (floridata.com)

IMAGE GALLERY
Indigenous region, edric.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Florida. Photo by Dr. Carl E. Lewis/Palmweb.
Portion of Rachilla with Flowers Not Borne in Pits. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Florida. Photo by Dr. Carl E. Lewis/Palmweb
Corkscrew Swamp, Florida. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Big Pine Key, Everglades, Florida. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Big Pine Key, Everglades, Florida. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Decumbent/Prostrate and Creeping Habit. Photo-Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Everglades National Park, Florida. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Everglades National Park, Florida. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Everglades National Park, Florida. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Everglades National Park, Florida. Photo by Dr. William J. Baker, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Growing with Powderpuff Lichens, Cladina evansii. Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.
Trimmed to expose trunk.
'Blue Form' Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas.
edric, Oak Hill FL.
edric, Oak Hill FL.
A second one showing this deformity, edric, Oak Hill FL.
A third palm displaying this trait, and there was a forth as well starting to do it, edric, Oak Hill FL.
The other side, Oak Hill FL.
Varigated specimen. Old Miakka Sarasota, Florida. Photo by Catherine Presley
Varigated specimen. Old Miakka, Sarasota, Florida. Photo by Catherine Presley
Varigated specimen. Old Miakka, Sarasota, Florida. Photo by Catherine Presley
Varigated specimen. Old Miakka, Sarasota, Florida. Photo by Catherine Presley
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
The camera is facing south, so it doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
Another stand 200 ft. east, getting twice the sun. The camera is facing south, so it still doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
Another stand 200 ft. east, getting twice the sun. The camera is facing south, so it still doesn't get to much sun except mid-summer, it's on the bank above the canal, across the street from the old New Smyrna Bch. High School property, on city property, at the west end of Quay Assissi, on Venezia, rare silver-blue form. Photo by edric.
Canaveral National Seashore, Volusia County, FL, April 2012. Photo by Mary Keim, edric.
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Photo by Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society
Photo-floridata.com
Photo by Steven Foster
Photo by Steven Foster

External Links

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.

Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.

Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).

Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

Back to Palm Encyclopedia

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 }}
 ==Habitat and Distribution==
-Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Saw palmetto occurs naturally on the coastal plain from South Carolina to southeastern Louisiana. It grows in a wide range of habitats from seaside sand dunes and dry scrub to moist forests, pine flatwoods and even wetlands. Saw palmetto can be the dominant ground cover in certain southeastern pine forests, sometimes covering hundreds of acres.
+Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Saw palmetto [[image:100_7407_zps4b402574z.jpg|thumb|left|450px|"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.]]occurs naturally on the coastal plain from South Carolina to southeastern Louisiana. It grows in a wide range of habitats from seaside sand dunes and dry scrub to moist forests, pine flatwoods and even wetlands. Saw palmetto can be the dominant ground cover in certain southeastern pine forests, sometimes covering hundreds of acres.
-[[image:100_7407_zps4b402574z.jpg|thumb|left|350px|"Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, along the St. Francis ghost town trail. This trail is in the far southeastern section of the Ocala National Forest on the southwest side of the St. John's River. This is just west of DeLand and about 35 miles NW of Orlando." Photo by Eric S.]]
 ==Description==
-Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains just above ground or runs just along the surface (decumbent). In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2-16 ft (0.6-5 m) above ground. The palmate leaves are 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) across and green or bluish green. The cluster of leaves gets about 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) high with a similar spread. In the wild, saw palmetto often grows in clumps 20 ft (6 m) or more in diameter. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 2 ft (0.6 m) long and sharply saw-toothed. The fruits are round, black when ripe and about an inch in diameter. Growth rate: slow. Height: 5 to 10 feet. Spread: 4 to 10 feet. Trunk: showy; typically multi-trunked or clustering stems. Growth habit: Solitary and Clustering. Plant density: open. Texture: medium. Leaf arrangement: alternate. Leaf margin: parted. Leaf shape: star-shaped. Leaf venation: palmately compound. Leaf blade length: more than 36 inches. Leaf color: silver/gray; blue or blue-green or green. Flower color: yellow-white. Flower characteristic: spring flowering; pleasant fragrance. Fruit shape: oval. Fruit length: .5 to 1 inch. Fruit cover: fleshy. Fruit color: black when ripe. Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy.
+Saw palmetto is a small hardy fan palm whose stem usually remains just above ground or runs just along the surface (decumbent). In some cases, it develops an erect or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves 2-16 ft (0.6-5 m) above ground. The palmate leaves are 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) across and green or bluish green. The cluster of leaves gets about 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) high with a similar spread. In the wild, saw palmetto often grows in clumps 20 ft (6 m) or more in diameter. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 2 ft (0.6 m) long and sharply saw-toothed. The fruits are round, black when ripe and about an inch in diameter. Growth rate: slow. Height: 5 to 10 feet. Spread: 4 to 10 feet. Trunk: showy; typically multi-trunked or clustering stems. Growth habit: Solitary and Clustering. Plant density: open. Texture: medium. Leaf arrangement: alternate. Leaf margin: parted. Leaf shape: star-shaped. Leaf venation: palmately compound. Leaf blade length: more than 36 inches. Leaf color: silver/gray; blue or blue-green or green. Flower color: yellow-white. Flower characteristic: spring flowering; pleasant fragrance. Fruit shape: oval. Fruit length: .5 to 1 inch. Fruit cover: fleshy. Fruit color: black when ripe. Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy. Editing by edric.
 ==Culture==
 Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun; plant grows in the shade. Soil tolerances: alkaline; clay; sand; acidic; loam. Drought tolerance: high. Soil salt tolerances: good. Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches. Very cold hardy. Saw palmetto should be planted on 3- to 5-foot centers to establish a new mass planting. They make a wonderful ground cover effect beneath existing or newly planted trees. Upright plants can be grown into beautiful multi-stemmed specimens but these are not common and quite expensive. Propagation is usually by seed but seedlings grow very slowly.
@@ Line 41: / Line 40: @@
 Saw palmetto is an extremely sturdy palm with great textural interest that blends in well with natural or seaside landscapes. This low, clumping, bushy palm has large, fan-shaped leaves and multiple trunks that creep along the ground, creating a dense ground cover. Most saw palmettos have green leaves, but a form with blue leaves can be found along the southeast coast of Florida. Three-foot-long flower stalks appear in spring, covered with small, yellow-white, fragrant flowers, the source of a commercial high-grade honey. The flowers are followed by small, yellow berries that turn black, ripening August through October. These berries are an important food source for many mammals and birds. Surviving only on rainfall once established, saw palmetto grows on any well-drained soil in full sun to shade, and is highly salt tolerant. Best transplanted when young, larger specimens ideally should not be removed during land clearing, since plants grow very slowly and transplant so poorly. This happens because stems frequently grow along the ground as they droop under the weight of the foliage. Therefore, the root system may not be located beneath the foliage but could be 5 to 10 feet away at the base of the stem. Twice the desired number of collected saw palmetto are often planted since mortality is high. Saw palmetto is becoming more available in containers from nurseries. Homeowners should make an effort to leave native stands in place beneath existing trees when developing a new lot since they require no maintenance. (University of Florida)
 {{read more bottom}}
-==External Links==
-*[http://eunops.org/content/glossary-palm-terms Glossary of Palm Terms]
-*[http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pronunciation.html MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN]
-*[http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/Pronunciation.htm "Just To Be Clear"]
-*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137626
-*http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/saw-palmetto/NS_patient-sawpalmetto
-==References==
-Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
-Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
-Special thanks to [http://palmweb.org/?q=node/2 Palmweb.org], Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
-Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
 <center><gallery caption="IMAGE GALLERY" perrow="" widths="" heights="">
 image:SERE2.jpg|Indigenous region, edric.
@@ Line 125: / Line 111: @@
 image:
 </gallery></center>
+==External Links==
+*[http://eunops.org/content/glossary-palm-terms Glossary of Palm Terms]
+*[http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pronunciation.html MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN]
+*[http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/Pronunciation.htm "Just To Be Clear"]
+*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137626
+*http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/saw-palmetto/NS_patient-sawpalmetto
+==References==
+Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
+Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
+Special thanks to [http://palmweb.org/?q=node/2 Palmweb.org], Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
+Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
 {{SpeciesListBackLink}}
 [[Category:SERENOA|repens]]

Difference between revisions of "Serenoa repens"

Revision as of 08:32, 3 June 2016

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