Roystonea borinquena
Roystonea (roy-ston-EH-ah) borinquena (bor-en-Kwehn-ah) | |||||||
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H.P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, FL. 12/2014 "This Roystonea borinquena has started flowering here at Leu Gardens. It was planted in 1990 as a large 1 gal. specimen." Photo by H.P. Lue Gardens Botanist Eric S. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Roystonea borinquena is found on Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Leeward Is., Puerto Rico, at low to middle elevations on soils derived from limestone. This palm is relatively common at the base of limestone hills (mogotes) along Puerto Rico's northern coast. Also from Vieques Is. and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Extremely abundant on Hispaniola in all but the driest regions, up to about 800 m. elevation. (Zona S.)Description
Trunk gray-brown to cinnamon-brown, to 15 m tall, 26.2-47. cm in diam. Leaves about 15 in the crown, lowest leaves hanging well below the horizontal; crownshaft 1.5-1.7 m long; petiole 30-55 cm long, rachis 3.8-4.5 m long; middle segments 67-125 cm long and 2.5-5.2 cm wide. Inflorescence 1-1.4 m long and 0.7-1.2 m wide; prophyll 43-74 cm long and 10.3-18.5 cm wide; peduncular bract 0.9-1.6 m long, widest at the middle, apex acuminate; rachillae 15-33.5 cm long and 1.4-2.5 mm in diam. Staminate flowers creamy yellow with bright purple anthers; sepals triangular to reniform, 0.7-1.4 mm long and 1.2-2 mm wide; petals elliptical to ovate, 5.3-6.4 mm long and 3-3.7 mm wide; stamens 6-9, 4-7.4 mm long, filaments awl-shaped, 2.9-6 mm long, anthers 2.5-4.3 mm long; pistillode minute. Pistillate flowers creamy yellow, 2-4 per cm; sepals reniform, 1.2-2.4 mm long and 3-4.1 mm wide; petals ovate, 2.4-4.4 mm long; staminode shallowly 6-lobed, 2.3-3.2 mm long, free for 0.9-1.7 mm; gynoecium 1.7-3.3 mm long and 1.5-3.1 mm diam. Fruits spheroid to ellipsoid, 11.6-15 mm long, 9-12.4 mm dorsiventral thickness, and 9.4-13.3 mm wide; epicarp brown to black, stigmatic scar plain; endocarp ellipsoid, 9.1-11.8 mm long, 6.8-8.6 mm dorsiventral thickness, and 7.1-9.1 mm wide; seed dorsiventrally compressed ellipsoid, 7.4-10.1 mm long, 5.3-7 mm dorsiventral thickness, and 5.9-7.8 mm wide; raphe circular. Eophyll linear-lanceolate, 19-23.3 cm long and 1.6-2.2 cm wide, exstipitate, weakly costate. (Zona S.) Editing by edric.
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In the original description of R. borinquena, Cook stated, "The typical form [of R. borinquena] is shown in our photograph (no. 250) taken in the plaza of Juana Diaz" (1901: 522). Curiously, and perhaps through oversight, Cook's photograph was never published. Bailey (1935) indicated the type as '"taken in the plaza of Juana Diaz,' Cook" Similarly, Classman (1972) indicated that the type is "Puerto Rico: Juana Diaz (Cook - US)," but no such herbarium specimen is in the collection of US. Bailey and Classman may have intended Cook's photograph to serve as the type, but there is much ambiguity in their designations, and the photograph has not been located. The type indicated here is the specimen at US annotated in what appears to be Cook's handwriting. It is considered to be the holotype. At the type locality, Sierra de Luquillo, another palm, Prestoea montana (Graham) Nicholson, is locally abundant at high elevations, but in the foothills, R. borinquena is occasionally encountered. This species is most remarkable for its colorful staminate flowers, creamy yellow with bright purple anthers, crowded on rachillae that bear the conspicuous bases of the free trichomes. Bailey thought that the rachillae were "lepidose-pubescent" (1949: 120), contrasting with the "glabrous" rachillae of R. regia and others. But no Roystonea has truly glabrous rachillae-all bear the free trichome bases, and the difference between the above-named species is only one of degree. At least one palm growing in the collection of the Montgomery Foundation, Miami, Florida (accession 91631 A; represented at FTG by Zona 603), resembles R. borinquena in the shape and size of the fruits and peduncular bract and in the color of the trunk; however, the flowers are strikingly different: widely spaced, white staminate flowers with dull purple anthers. The provenance of this palm is unknown, and there is a possibility that it represents a garden hybrid of R. borinquena with some other species. Although it is distinct from all other species, I am reluctant to recognize it as new until the questions of its origin and hybridization are resolved. A useful, but likely overlooked, synopsis of the biology and ecology of R. borinquena can be found in Francis (1992). (Zona S.) |
Culture
Likes a full sun, well drained position preferably on limestone based soils. Seed is easily germinated and seedlings can take full sun immediately and are very fast growing. Mature trees withstand hurricane force winds, and also transplant very easily. Lots of water, and as much heat as you can throw at them. Unlike most palms, these do not need good drainage and actually prefer a heavy clay soil with plenty of water in it.
Comments and Curiosities
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Uses: Leaves and leaf-sheaths are used for thatch and siding; fruits are used as hog feed. (Zona S.) Royal palms are popular ornamental plants due to their striking appearance; Roystonea borinquena is extensively planted as an ornamental in Puerto Rico. Its tolerance of air pollution, its ability to grow in a variety of soil types, and the fact that it roots do not damage sidewalks, increase its utility for landscaping and street planting. Its timber is occasionally used for construction but is susceptible to termite attack. Leaves are used as thatch and the leaf sheaths can be laid flat and used to make the sides of buildings. The fruit are fed to pigs and other livestock, and the flowers are visited by honey bees. Young Roystonea borinquena trees may begin flowering when they are about seven years old, and they flower throughout the year. The flowers of Roystonea borinquena produce nectar and are visited by honey bees; and are thought to be insect-pollinated. Flowering individuals bear an average of 3.2 inflorescences per tree, and produce 6–12,000 fruit per inflorescence. Seeds germinate after 50–100 days. After six months, seedlings in full sunlight can reach a height of 30 centimetres (12 in); young trees can grow an average of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) per year. Roystonea borinquena fruit are a fat-rich food source for birds. White-crowned Pigeons have been reported to disperse the seeds of the species. It is a common sight in the Puerto Rican cities. Its ability to withstand a polluted atmosphere and to grow well on either moist, well-drained soils or partially compacted fill dirt makes it valuable as a landscape plant. The roots don't damage sidewalks or curbs even when the trees are planted in constricted spaces. The palm lumber was once widely used in rural construction, and the leaves were used as a roof thatch. Dry leaf sheaths (yaguas) can be spread out flat to make sides of buildings. In Puerto Rico, natural regeneration is most aggressive on the slopes and valleys of moist limestone hills. The species regenerates naturally in areas annually receiving 1250 to 2500 mm of rain; its native range has a mean annual temperature of 25°C and is frost free. "Looks a LOT like a Roystonea regia (I personally can't see the difference- some floral variations). Fast palm. Pretty hardy, but not exceptional. The palm in the photo there has survived nearly yearly frosts and with little damage in southern California in a zone 9b-10a. This palm is also growing in one of the windiest climates in southern California and seems none the worse for wear." (Geoff Stein) A large and stately palm from Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Virgin Islands, where it is common to an altitude of about 1000 m (3300 ft.). It has a tall, gray brown, columnlike trunk that is swollen above the middle; a huge, grass green crownshaft; and a handsome crown of large, feathery leaves. It is generally similar to Roystonea regia and has the same requirements in cultivation. It is very fast growing and does well in most subtropical and tropical areas. (RPS.com) "By it's trunck size, bigger than R. Regia, and without the bottle or spindle form, petioles are thicker and the most noticeable difference is the fruits, which are thick and black ( the same shape and colour like H. Verschafelti fruits but a bit bigger ) unlike other Roystoneas fruit (regia or oleracea) which are redish and gets dark in colour and round in shape. Whereas the Borinquenas fruits ripen from green to dark." (Timrann) When your tree seeds you'll be able to definitely identify it. R borinquena has oval seeds much like an olive pip, whereas R regia and R oleracea have almost round seeds and smaller. (Tyrone) |
Leaves are 2.4–3.7 m (7.9–12.1 ft) long, with short petioles and leaf sheathes 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) long which encircles the upper portion of the stem, forming a crownshaft, which is an elongated circumferential leaf base formation present on royal palms. Roystonea regia, however, reaches a height of 20–30 metres (66–98 ft) tall, (with heights up to 34.5 m (113 ft) reported, according to Wikipedia) and a stem diameter of about 47 centimetres (19 in). If you’re interested in Royal Palms, please read the following forum discussion about the differences between Roystenia borinquena and Roystenia regia: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/46843-roystonea-regia-vs-boriquena/
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- From the spanish
- http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mauroguanandi/tags/palmae/
- http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/30330-cold-hardiness-of-roystonea-borinquena/
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
Zona S.Roystonea.(Arecaceae: Arecoideae).
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.