Coccothrinax barbadensis explained

Coccothrinax barbadensis (latanier, latanier balai)^[1] is a palm found in the Lesser Antilles (and Trinidad and Tobago).^[2] Like other members of the genus Coccothrinax, C. barbadensis is a fan palm. The leaves are widely used to thatch roofs.

The species is found in Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. Henderson and coauthors report that the species was probably present throughout the Lesser Antilles, but was extirpated on many of them.^[1]

George Proctor (in Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong, 2005^[3]) considers Coccothrinax alta to be a distinct species (based on its shorter, more slender trunk, fewer stamens and much smaller fruit, but Rafaël Govaerts^[4] considers it a synonym of C. barbadensis.

Notes and References

1. Book: Henderson, Andrew . Andrew Henderson (botanist) . Galeano . Gloria . Gloria Galeano . Bernal . Rodrigo . Rodrigo Bernal. Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas . 1995 . Princeton University Press . Princeton, New Jersey. 978-0-691-08537-1 .
2. Web site: Coccothrinax barbadensis. 2019-02-25 . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

   World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

   .
3. Acevedo-Rodríguez . Pedro . Mark T. Strong . 2005 . Monocots and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands . Contributions of the United States National Herbarium . 52 . 1–405 . Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez .
4. Web site: Coccothrinax alta . https://archive.today/20130802160355/http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/wcsp/nonacceptedRef.do?accepted_id=44375&repSynonym_id=203998&name_id=44375&status=true . dead . 2013-08-02 . 2007-11-05 . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

   World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

   .