Sabal minor

(Jacquin) Persoon

Syn. Pl. 1: 399. 1805.

Common names: Dwarf palmetto little blue stem latanier
Basionym: Corypha minor Jacquin Hort. Bot. Vindob. 3: 8, plate 8. 1776
Synonyms: Chamaerops acaulis Michaux Chamaerops louisiana W. Darby Corypha pumila Walter Sabal adansonii Guersent S.abal adiantinum Rafinesque S.abal deeringiana Small S.abal louisiana (W. Darby) Bomhard S.abal pumila (Walter) Elliott
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22. Treatment on page 109.

Stems usually subterranean. Leaves 4–10, dark green, weakly costapalmate, little if at all curved, not bearing fibers between segments; hastula obtuse, 0.8–4.7 cm; segments not filiferous, 34–—84 ´ 1.4–3.7 cm; apices weakly if at all bifid2-cleft. Inflorescences sparsely branched with 2 orders of branching (not counting main inflorescence axis), erect, much longer than leaves. Flowers 3.5–5.2 mm. Fruits brownish black, spheroid, length 6.2–8.5 mm, diam. 6.4–9.7 mm; pericarp thin. Seeds 3.5–5.1 mm, diam. 4.4–6.9 mm diam. 2n = 36.


Phenology: Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat: Mesic hammocks, floodplains, levees, river banks, swamps, but occurring on much drier sites in west-central Tex.
Elevation: ca. 10–600 m

Distribution

V22 43-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tex., Mexico

Discussion

Previously thought to be endemic to the United States, this species was only recently found in Nuevo León, Mexico (D. H. Goldman 1999).

Sabal minor is usually a small palm with a subterranean trunk; however, one can find individuals with larger features and well-developed aerial stems. In Louisiana, these individuals were recognized as separate species (J. K. Small 1929; M. L. Bomhard 1935), but more recently they have been treated as merely ecological variants of a single widespread species (A. Henderson et al. 1995; P. F. Ramp and L. B. Thien 1995; S. Zona 1990). Large emergent forms of S. minor were even thought by B. J. Simpson (1988) to be hybrids of that species with S. palmetto, but his claim is undocumented and unsubstantiated.

An unusual habitat for this species, a dry hillside in central Texas, was illustrated by L. Lockett (1991).

Lower Taxa

None.

"basally connate" is not a number.

... more about "Sabal minor"
obtuse +  and acuminate-triangular +
versatile +  and dorsifixed +
2-cleft +  and acute +
Scott Zona +
(Jacquin) Persoon +
Corypha minor +
3-lobed +  and cupulate +
Dwarf palmetto +, little blue stem +  and latanier +
Ala. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Miss. +, N.C. +, Okla. +, S.C. +, Tex. +  and Mexico +
ca. 10–600 m +
lateral +  and apical +
membranaceous +
linear-lanceolate +
thread-like +
triangular +
creamy white +
adnate +, connate +  and distinct +
fragrant +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.52 cm5.2 mm <br />0.0052 m <br />) +
berrylike +  and drupaceous +
brownish black +
0.64 cm6.4 mm <br />0.0064 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.97 cm9.7 mm <br />0.0097 m <br /> (?) +
0.62 cm6.2 mm <br />0.0062 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.85 cm8.5 mm <br />0.0085 m <br /> (?) +
apical +  and basal +
spheroid +
lobed +, spheroid +  and berrylike +
Mesic hammocks, floodplains, levees, river banks, swamps, but occurring on much drier sites in west-central Tex. +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (4.7 cm47 mm <br />0.047 m <br />) +
arching +  and erect +
smooth +  and striate +
2-pinnate +  and pinnate +
dark green +
dry +  and fleshy +
alternate +  and imbricate +
spatulate;obovate;elliptic +
bearing prickles or marginal teeth +  and unarmed +
ridged +, channeled +  and terete +
Flowering spring–summer. +
list +  and count +
v--shaped +  and tent--shaped +
germination +
bomhard1935a +, goldman1999a +, ramp1989a +, ramp1995a +  and small1929a +
adventitious +
4.4mm;6.9mm +
adhering to endocarp +  and free +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.51 cm5.1 mm <br />0.0051 m <br />) +
not filiferous +
lanceolate +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (?) +  and 3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br /> (?) +
connate +  and distinct +
covered with fibrous or prickly remains +  and smooth +
subterranean +
erect +  and creeping +
enlarged;massive;slender +
papillose +
connate +  and distinct +
Chamaerops acaulis +, Chamaerops louisiana +, Corypha pumila +, Sabal adansonii +, S.abal adiantinum +, S.abal deeringiana +, S.abal louisiana +  and S.abal pumila +
Sabal minor +
species +
unbranched +  and branched +
tall +  and dwarf +
unisexual +  and bisexual +