''Coccothrinax argentata'', commonly called the Florida silver palm, is a species of

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (b ...

tree. It is native to south

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

, southeast

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, Colombia and to the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Great ...

, where it is found in the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archi ...

, the southwest Caribbean and the

Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and ...

. Its natural habitat is rocky, calcareous soil in coastal

scrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ma ...

and

hammock A hammock (from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno and Arawak ) is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a wove ...

communities.

Description

It is a small (2–6 m tall), slow-growing

fan palm Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms ( Arecaceae) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed (rather than pinnately compound). Most are members of the subfamily Coryphoideae, though a fe ...

with leaves that are dark blue-green above and silver-coloured below. Measurements in Fairchild Tropical Garden showed an average growth rate of per year. Flowers are white and small on light orange branches. The fruits are globose and half an inch in diameter. They are initially green and turn purple or black when ripe. Silver palms in their natural habitat often grow among saw palmetto ('' Serenoa repens'') and cabbage palmetto (''

Sabal palmetto ''Sabal palmetto'' (, '' SAY-bəl''), also known as cabbage palm, cabbage palmetto, sabal palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, Garfield's tree, and swamp cabbage, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm. It is native to the Sou ...

'') which have similar fronds. Silver Palms can be distinguished by its smooth vertical trunk, and its small, crescent-shaped hastula. Coccothrinax argentata in residential area

Coccothrinax argentata in residential area

Taxonomy

''Coccothrinax argentata'' was first described in 1803 by

Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 172726 October 1817) was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. Biography Born in Leiden in the Netherlands, he studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to P ...

as ''Palma argentata''. It was transferred to the genus ''

Coccothrinax ''Coccothrinax'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and subspecies. A new species ('' Coccothrinax spirituana'') was described as recently as 2017. Many ''Cocco ...

'' by Liberty Hyde Bailey in 1939.

Distribution and habitat

''Coccothrinax argentata'' is native to

in the southeastern United States, southeast

, Colombia, and parts of the Caribbean, where it is found in the

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

, the Cayman Islands Hispanola (in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

), the southwest Caribbean, including the Colombian Caribbean islands, the Honduran Bay Islands and the

. Its natural habitat is rocky, calcareous soil, including coastal

and

communities.Flora of North America
/ref> Populations on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge in Southern Florida are now recognized as ''Coccothrinax argentata garberi''. This subspecies can be distinguished from ''Coccothrinax argentata argentata'' by shorter petioles and reduced stature.Atlas of Florida Plants
/ref> Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys has one of the largest stands of silver palms in the United States.Bahia Honda State Park, brochure
/ref> They can be found on a nature walk just off of Sandspur Beach.

Ecology

The endangered Key deer (''Odocoileus virginianus clavium'') are known to feed on the fruits of the silver palm.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2981243 argentata Flora of Florida Flora of the Southwest Caribbean Flora of Southeastern Mexico Flora of the Turks and Caicos Islands Trees of the Bahamas Trees of Colombia Trees of the Southeastern United States Trees of Yucatán Trees of Quintana Roo Trees of the Dominican Republic Plants described in 1803 Taxa named by Liberty Hyde Bailey