Sabal palmetto

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:ARECACEAE
Species:Sabal palmetto (Walter) Lodd. ex Schult. & Schult. f.
Common Name:Cabbage Palmetto; Cabbage Palm
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Tree
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Cabbage Palmetto is a tree-like evergreen perennial in the Palm family (Arecaceae). It is doubtfully native to Alabama except perhaps in the Mobile Delta region. Cabbage Palmetto is widely planted as an ornamental and has escaped in the southern half of the state. Cabbage Palmetto occurs along roadsides, in urban woodlots, in secondary forests, in vacant lots, and along streams and rivers. It is tree-like in appearance with a single unbranched trunk up to 30 feet in height. The trunk is ringed, becoming smooth with age. Leaves form a terminal crown. The trunk immediately below the leafy crown is covered with dead leaves or leaf bases. The leaves are petiolate, costapalmate (fan-shaped with a midrib (costa) extending into the blade), and plicate (folded like a paper fan). The leaves are up to 3 feet long and are evergreen. Flowers are produced in axillary panicles with 3-4 orders of branching. Individual flowers have a 3 lobed, cup-shaped calyx and 3 greenish yellow petals. The fruit is a black, spherical drupe. Cabbage Palmetto fruit are consumed by Black Bears, Racoons, Gray Squirrels, and many species of birds. Cabbage Palmetto is a popular ornamental, especially near the coast. It is tolerant of drought, poor soil, salt spray, high winds, and flooding. It is available from many nurseries in south Alabama. The common name refers to the harvesting of the terminal bud as a vegetable. It is said to taste like cabbage when cooked. This practice is discouraged as it kills the tree. Cabbage Palmetto leaves are collected in certain areas to be woven into mats or screens. The trunks are resistant to sea-worms and have been used for pilings for docks and bridges. Cabbage Palmetto is the state tree of South Carolina.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, FAC (NWI)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyARECACEAE - Palm family
Genus Sabal
Species Sabal palmetto (Walter) Lodd. ex Schult. & Schult. f. - Cabbage Palmetto; Cabbage Palm

Citation

Citation Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex Schultes & Schultes f., Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis. 7(2): 1487. 1830.
Basionym: Corypha palmetto Walter 1788.
Type: USA: FLORIDA: Duval Co.: Near Jacksonville, Jul, Curtiss 2677 (neotype: NY; isoneotypes: BH, F, GA, GH, MICH, MO, US). Neotypified by Zona, Aliso 12: 646. 1990.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Chamaerops palmetto Chamaerops palmetto (Walter) Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 206. 1803.Corypha palmetto Walter 1788. 
Corypha palmetto Corypha palmetto Walter, Fl. Carol. 119. 1788. FLORIDA: Duval Co.: Near Jacksonville, Jul, Curtiss 2677 (neotype: NY; isoneotypes: BH, F, GA, GH, MICH, MO, US). Neotypified by Zona, Aliso 12: 646. 1990.
Inodes palmetto Inodes palmetto (Walter) O. F. Cook, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 532. 1901.Corypha palmetto Walter 1788. 
Inodes schwarzii Inodes schwarzii O. F. Cook, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 532. 1901. FLORIDA: Miami-Dade Co.: S of Coconut Grove, s.d., Cook s.n. (holotype: US?)
Sabal bahamensis Sabal bahamensis (Beccari) L. H. Bailey, Gentes Herb. 6: 417. 1944.Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex Schultes & Schultes f., var. bahamensis Beccari 1907. 
Sabal jamesiana Sabal jamesiana Small, J. New York Bot. Gard. 28: 182. 1927. FLORIDA: Miami-Dade Co.: Deering Hammock, 26 Aug 1929, Small & Mosier s.n. (neotype: NY). Neotypified by Zona, Aliso 12: 646. 1990.
Sabal palmetto var. bahamensis Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex Schultes & Schultes f., var. bahamensis Beccari, Webbia 2: 38. 1907. BAHAMA ISLANDS: New Providence: Along N side of Lake Killarney, 3 Mar 1888, Eggers 4360 (lectotype: C). Lectotypified by Zona, Aliso 12: 646. 1990.
Sabal parviflora Sabal parviflora Beccari, Webbia 2: 43. 1907. CUBA: Without data, Wright 3970 (holotype: B(destroyed); isotypes: A, FI(fragm), NY, P, US).
Sabal schwarzii Sabal schwarzii (O. F. Cook) Beccari, Webbia 2: 39. 1907.Inodes schwarzii O. F. Cook 1901. 
Sabal viatoris Sabal viatoris L. H. Bailey, Gentes Herb. 6: 403, fig. 209-211. 1944. Cultivated at Huntigton Bot. Gard., San Marino, California; nativity unknown, 2 Mar 1927, Bailey 9248 (lectotype: BH). Lectotypified by Zona, Aliso 12: 646. 1990.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Conecuh, Houston, Mobile, Pike

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
UWAL0043666 Baldwin 26 Mar 2004 Larsen, Harry S.
1249		 UWAL
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Lodd. ex Schult & Schult. f.
UNA00061857 Mobile 24 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11863		 UNA
Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
TROY000009945 Pike 31 May 2002 Diamond, Alvin R.
13238		 TROY
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
UWAL0033090 Houston 04 Feb 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27161		 UWAL
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
AMAL00007952 Mobile 24 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11863		 AMAL
Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. Ex J.A. and J.H. Schultes
TROY000009944 Pike 31 May 2002 Diamond, Alvin R.
13238		 TROY
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
TROY000043706 Houston 04 Feb 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27161		 TROY
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
TROY000044230 Conecuh 25 Jun 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27510		 TROY
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
UNA00061131 Mobile 24 May 2003 Spaulding, Daniel D.
11863		 UNA
Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. ex J.A. & J.H. Schultes
SAMF0000936 Baldwin 23 May 1980 Davenport, Lawrence J.
1880		 SAMF
Sabal palmetto (Walter) Loddiges ex J. A. & J. H. Schultes
AMAL00011929 Baldwin 24 Jun 2004 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12131		 AMAL
Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. Ex J.A. and J.H. Schultes
ALNHS00004105 Pike 06 Jul 2016 Taylor, Chris T.
SP#2413		 ALNHS
Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd.
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