Leucothrinax

Leucothrinax morrisii

Leucothrinax morrisii is a native to the Caribbean palm. She is the only member of the genus Leucothrinax. In the Caribbean, it is one of the commonly cultivated as an ornamental palms.

Features

Leucothrinax morrisii is only one root, which is up to 11 meters high and can reach a diameter of 35 cm. She is an unreinforced, hermaphrodite fan palm. The leaves are induplicat (V -shaped) folded. The petiole basal tears on with reticular fibers. He is often longer than the leaf blade. The leaf base of petiole and leaf blade - occupied with whitish wax scales. Hastula and the bracts in the inflorescence are covered with silky, white, deciduous scales.

The inflorescence is curved and longer than the leaves. The flowers are sitting or standing on stems of less than 1 mm in height. The fruits are white and spherical. The endosperm is homogeneous.

The chromosome number is 2n = 36

Dissemination and locations

Leucothrinax morrisii comes in Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the western islands of the Lesser Antilles.

The species grows in coral sand and sandstone near the coasts.

System

The genus Leucothrinax is placed in the subfamily Coryphoideae, Tribe Cryosophileae within the family Arecaceae. Her sister group may Hemithrinax.

In the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, just the way Leucothrinax is morrisii recognized.

The species was performed until 2008 in the genus Thrinax. Molecular genetic studies showed, however, that it is not closely related to the other representatives of Thrinax. Therefore, the species was transferred to a separate genus Leucothrinax. The name comes from the ancient Greek word for white, and the generic name Thrinax together, the genus to which it resembles morphologically the most. White refers to the white wax scales on young leaves, young buds and undersides of the leaves that are missing the representatives of Hemithrinax and Thrinax.

Documents

• John Dransfield, Natalie W. Uhl, Conny B. Asmussen, William J. Baker, Madeline M. Harley, Carl E. Lewis: Genera palmarum. The Evolution and Classification of Palms. Second edition, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2008, ISBN 978-1-84246-182-2, pp. 230-232.