Difference between revisions of "Serenoa repens"

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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)
 
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)
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Origin and Habitat: Serenoa repens f. glauca (blue leafed form) occurs along the Atlantic coast in Florida and is the form most often grown in gardens and landscapes.
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Habitat: It grows in wet tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate regions on coastal plain from seaside sand dunes and dry scrub to moist forests, dry prairies, pine flatwoods, undergrowth in pine woods, hardwood hammocks and even wetlands.
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Ecology: It is an understory species that can grows in both sunny and shaded habitats and is a frequent invader of very dry or frequently burned habitats. The plant is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species such as Batrachedra decoctor, which feeds exclusively on the plant and by several moths. It provides cover for wildlife, and the fruit is eaten by several bird species and mammals. Bees use the nectar to produce honey.
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Synonyms:
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Serenoa repens f. glauca Moldenke
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See all synonyms of Serenoa repens
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Common Names include:
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ENGLISH: Palmetto, Serenoa, Scrub palmetto, Saw palmetto
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ARABIC ( لعربية ): بلميط منشاري
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CHINESE (中文): Ju chi zong
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DUTCH (Nederlands): Dwergpalm, Zegepalm
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FRENCH (Français): Sabal, Chou palmiste, Palmier de Floride
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GERMAN (Deutsch): Sägepalme
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HUNGARIAN (Magyar): Fűrészpálma
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ITALIAN (Italiano): Serenoa
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JAPANESE (日本語): ノコギリヤシ
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LITHUANIAN (Lietuvių): Gulsčioji serenoja
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PORTUGUESE (Português): Serenoa
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RUSSIAN (Русский): Сереноа, Сереноя
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SPANISH (Español): Serenoa, Palmito salvaje
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Description: Serenoa repens f. glauca Moldenke is an especially attractive form that was described as differing from the typical green serenoa for its silvery-blue foliage and is the form most often grown in gardens and landscapes. Since a type specimen for Serenoa repens is lacking, it is impossible to know if Moldenke’s form differs from the type. Apart from the difference in leaf colour they are identical, so now Serenoa repens f. glauca is synonymized with Serenoa repens.
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Habit: Commonly known as saw palmetto Serenoa repens f. glauca is a small hardy fan palm that grows in bushy clumps or dense thickets 6 m or more in diameter and 0,6 -2,1 m tall in its more common procumbent form, or 2-7 m tall in plant forming aerial trunks. It is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. It is very slow growing, and long lived, with some plants possibly being as old as 500–700 years.
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Stems: Many-branched, usually sprawling parallel to the soil surface, eventually branching beneath the substrate to form rhizomes. In some populations, it develops an erect or oblique, or arching trunk that may lift the whorl of leaves up to 7 m above ground.
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Crown: The cluster of leaves gets about 1,2-1,8 m high with a similar spread.
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Leaves: Palmate, without a costa, evergreen, 0,6-1 m across, bluish green, with about 20 leaflets 30–60 cm long that are slightly cleft at the summit. They are similar to the leaves of the palmettos of genus Sabal. The petioles (leaf stems) are about 0,6 m long and sharply saw-toothed hence its common name.
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Flowers: About 5 mm across, white, perfect, borne on stalked, dense, compound, tomentose, panicles up to 60 cm long that grow from the leaf axils. Spadix shorter than the leaves.
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Blooming period: Spring to summer (between April and July in northern hemisphere). Spadix initiation begins after the danger of frost is past and may be stimulated by rising temperatures.
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Fruits: Round to elipsoid , fleshy, drupe, green or yellow before ripening becoming bluish or black when ripe and about 2,5 cm in diameter.
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Ripening period: Autumn (September and October in Northern hemisphere)
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Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Serenoa repens group
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Serenoa repens (W.Bartram) Small: grows in dense thickets 6 m or more in diameter and 0,6 -2,1 m tall, or 2-7 m tall in plant forming aerial trunks. Distribution: Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Arkansas
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Serenoa repens f. glauca Moldenke: is an especially attractive form with silvery-blue foliage. Distribution: occurs along the Atlantic coast in Florida.
 
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File:SerenoaRepens18.jpg|Illinois:: Jackson Co. Southern Illinois University Plant Biology greenhouse, Carbondale; cultivated 37 42 52.67 N, 89 13 20.01 W GOOmap  VEmap , 25 March 2013. Photo by Dr. D. L. Nickrent.
 
File:SerenoaRepens18.jpg|Illinois:: Jackson Co. Southern Illinois University Plant Biology greenhouse, Carbondale; cultivated 37 42 52.67 N, 89 13 20.01 W GOOmap  VEmap , 25 March 2013. Photo by Dr. D. L. Nickrent.
 
File:SerenoaRepens69.jpg|Florida:: Pasco Co. Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, on nature trail towards Anclote River. Coordinates approximate. 28 12 49.67 N, 82 35 58.53 W GOOmap  VEmap , 16 March 2016. Photo by Dr. D. L. Nickrent.
 
File:SerenoaRepens69.jpg|Florida:: Pasco Co. Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, on nature trail towards Anclote River. Coordinates approximate. 28 12 49.67 N, 82 35 58.53 W GOOmap  VEmap , 16 March 2016. Photo by Dr. D. L. Nickrent.
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Green Cay Wetlands Boynton Beach, Florida. September 25, 2009. Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr.
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File:serenoa_habit_blue_pja.jpg|Photo: idtools.org
 
File:serenoa_habit_blue_pja.jpg|Photo: idtools.org

Revision as of 21:37, 21 September 2017

Serenoa (sehr-eh-NO-ah)
repens (REH-penz)
5672334017 b9dbbf4a0b o.jpg
Home, South Miami, Florida. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona
Scientific Classification
Genus: Serenoa (sehr-eh-NO-ah)
Species:
repens (REH-penz)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
America
America.gif
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
Portion of Rachilla with Flowers Not Borne in Pits. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Florida. Photo by Dr. Carl E. Lewis/Palmweb
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.

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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)



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.

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