Sabal mexicana
Sabal
Mexican ppalmetto, Rio Grande palmetto, sabal du mexique
palmetto
aerial, 20–35 cm diam.
solitary, aerial or subterranean, covered with leaf bases or clean, obscurely [strongly] ringed, becoming striate or smooth with age.
10–30, strongly costapalmate;
hastula acute to acuminate, 9.5–15.5 cm;
segments filiferous, 80–145 × 3.2–5.3 cm;
apices bifid2-cleft.
few to many;
sheath fibers soft;
petiole split at base, completely unarmed;
adaxial hastula well -developed, obtuse to acuminate-triangular;
costa present;
blade weakly to strongly costapalmate;
plication induplicate;
segments lanceolate, basally connate to connate for 2 1/2 length [or in groups of 2 or 3 segments connate for nearly entire length], often bearing thread-like fibers between segments;
apices acute or 2-cleft, stiff or lax.
with 3 orders of branching (not counting main inflorescence axis), arching, about ± as long as leaves.
axillary within crown of leaves, paniculate, erect or arching beyond leaves [shorter than leaves], with 2 or 3[–4] orders of branching;
peduncular bracts 2–5, tightly clasping, inconspicuous;
rachillae glabrous.
3.7–6.5 mm.
bisexual, borne singly along rachillae, sessile, creamy white, fragrant;
perianth 2-seriate;
calyx cupulate; 3-lobed;
petals 3, imbricate, elliptic, obovate or spatulate, alternate with outer whorl of stamens [basally connate], basally adnate to filaments;
stamens 6 in 2 whorls;
filaments narrowly triangular, basally connate;
anthers dorsifixed, versatile;
pistils 1, 1-carpellate, glabrous;
nectaries 3, septal;
ovules 3, but usually only one develops into seed;
stigma minutely 3-lobed, papillose.
black, oblate- spheroid, length 13.8–17 mm, diam. diam. 14.8–19.3 mm.
drupes, berrylike, spheroid [oblate or pyriform] or lobed when more than 1 seed develops;
exocarp black;
mesocarp blackish, dry to fleshy;
endocarp brown, membranaceous.
5.4–7.4 mm, diam. 8.6–13.3 mm diam. 2n = 36.
1–3, oblate, glossy;
endosperm bony, homogeneous;
embryo nearly apical, lateral or nearly lateral;
eophyll undivided, linear-lanceolate.
..
= 18.
Sabal mexicana
Sabal
L. Lockett (1991) suggested that Hhybridization between Sabal mexicana and S. minor is possibly evidenced by a small population of caulescent palms in Brazoria County, Texas (L. Lockett 1991). Further research is needed to test this hypothesis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sabal flowers are bisexual and are pollinated mostly by native bees, especially of the families Halictidae and Megachilidae (S. Zona 1987, 1990), European honeybee, and wasps (Vespidae; P. F. Ramp 1989). Fruits are eagerly sought by both mammals (bears, deer, raccoons) and birds (S. Zona and A. Henderson 1989). Sabal minor, perhaps more than other species, is also dispersed by water (P. F. Ramp 1989; S. Zona 1990).
Species 16 (5 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Inflorescences with 2 (rarely 3 in basal branches) orders of branching (not counting main axis). | → 2 |
1. Inflorescence with 3 orders of branching. | → 3 |
2. Leaf strongly costapalmate and curved, bearing fibers between segments; inflorescence bushy and compact, ± long as leaves | S. etonia |
2. Leaf weakly costapalmate and little if at all curved, not bearing fibers between segments; inflorescence sparsely branched, much longer than leaves | S. minor |
3. Stems subterranean; leaves 6 or fewer | S. miamiensis |
3. Stems usually aerial; leaves more than 10. | → 4 |
4. Fruit 8.1–13.9 mm diam. | S. palmetto |
4. Fruit 14.8–19.3 mm diam | S. mexicana |
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
