| Acoelorraphe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stand of fruiting specimens | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Coryphoideae |
| Tribe: | Trachycarpeae |
| Genus: | Acoelorraphe H.Wendl.[2] |
| Species: | A. wrightii |
| Binomial name | |
| Acoelorraphe wrightii | |
| Synonyms[6] | |
Of the species:[5]
| |
Acoelorraphe is a genus ofpalms with a singlespeciesAcoelorraphe wrightii, known as thePaurotis palm,Everglades palm orMadeira palm inEnglish[6][7][8][9] andcubas,tique, andpapta inSpanish.[10] The genus name is sometimes spelt asAcoelorrhaphe orAcoelorhaphe, which are treated asorthographical variants by theInternational Plant Names Index.[4]
It is a small to moderately tall palm that grows in clusters to 5–7 metres (16–23 ft), rarely 9 m (30 ft) tall, with slender stems less than 15 centimetres (5.9 in) diameter. The leaves arepalmate (fan-shaped), with segments joined to each other for about half of their length, and are 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) wide, light-green above, and silver underneath. The leaf petiole is 1–1.2 m (3.3–3.9 ft) long, and has orange, curved, sharp teeth along the edges. The flowers are minute, inconspicuous and greenish, with 6stamens. Thetrunk is covered with fibrous matting. The fruit ispea-sized, starting orange and turning to black at maturity.[11][12]
The genus name is a combination of threeGreek words meaninga- 'without',koilos 'hollow', andrhaphis 'needle', an allusion to the form of the fruit. The species is named after the American botanistCharles Wright.[13]
It is native toCentral America, southeasternMexico, theCaribbean,Colombia,the Bahamas, and extreme southernFlorida where it grows close to sea level in thin, rocky soil over limestone in wet areas and swamps of theEverglades.[11]
The Paurotis palm was formerly plentiful in the FloridaEverglades, but many plants were taken for thenursery trade. The palm is now protected in the wild by Florida law and its numbers are increasing again. Trees propagated from seed or by sawing apart the base of a cluster are available in nurseries. It is hardy to central and southern Florida and is cultivated as a landscape palm.[14]
