Sabal miamiensis explained

Sabal miamiensis, the Miami palmetto, is a rare plant species endemic to Dade County, Florida, in the vicinity of the city of Miami.

Taxonomy

The formal description of this as a new species was published in 1985, based largely on specimens collected in 1901.^{[1] [2] [3]} Sabal miamiensis is closely related to S. etonia, of which it is sometimes considered a synonym, or a hybrid of S. etonia and S. palmetto.

Conservation

Only one population is known; it consists of a few individuals in Crandon Park, Miami, Florida. It is seriously threatened and may possibly already be extinct in the wild, although it is still in cultivation as an ornamental.^[4] It has been collected in nature only from rocky pinelands in the region, areas which ae now rapidly becoming urbanized.

Description

Sabal miamiensis resembles S. etonia but has larger fruits (15- in diameter) and an inflorescences with 3 orders of branching instead of 2. Stems are primarily subterranean, leaves no more than 6 per plant, each yellow-green and up to 85round=0.5NaNround=0.5 long. Flowers are creamy white, each 5-5.5 mm long. Fruits are black and fleshy.^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

Notes and References

1. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=222000324 Flora of North America v 22 p 109
2. http://www.kew.org/msbp/extinct/database/Palmae_Sabal_miamiensis.htm Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Extinct Plants Index
3. http://www.palmguide.org/sheet.php?sheet=53867 Fairchild Botanical Garden, Fairchild Guide to Palms, herbarium sheet 53867, Sabal miamensis
4. http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Sabal_miamiensis Palmpedia, Floribunda Palms and Exotics
5. A New Species of Sabal (Palmae) from Florida . 10.2307/2806549 . 2806549 . Zona . Scott . Brittonia . 1985 . 37 . 4 . 366–368 . 1985Britt..37..366Z .
6. Henderson, A., G. A. Galeano & R. Bernal. 1995. Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas 1–352. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
7. Zona, S. 1990. A monograph of Sabal (Arecaceae: Coryphoideae). Aliso 12: 583--666.
8. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR35700.pdf Fox. D.A., & M.G. Andreu. 2012. Sorting out the Florida Sabal Palms. University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, FOR 289