Roystonea oleracea | |
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Roystonea oleracea in the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Monocots |
(unranked): | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Subfamily: | Arecoideae |
Tribe: | Roystoneae |
Genus: | Roystonea |
Species: | R. oleracea |
Binomial name | |
Roystonea oleracea (Jacq.) O.F.Cook |
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Synonyms | |
Areca oleracea Jacq. |
Areca oleracea Jacq.
Oreodoxa oleracea (Jacq.) Mart.
Kentia oleracea (Jacq.) Seem. ex H.Wendl. in O.C.E.de Kerchove de Denterghem
Gorgasia oleracea (Jacq.) O.F.Cook nom. inval.
Euterpe caribaea Spreng.
Oreodoxa caribaea (Spreng.) Dammer & Urb. in I.Urban
Roystonea caribaea (Spreng.) P.Wilson
Oreodoxa regia var. jenmanii Waby
Roystonea oleracea var. excelsior L.H.Bailey nom. illeg.
Roystonea venezuelana L.H.Bailey
Roystonea oleracea var. jenmanii (Waby) Zona
Roystonea oleracea, sometimes known as the Caribbean royal palm,palmiste, imperial palm or cabbage palm, is a species of palm which is native to the Lesser Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is also reportedly naturalized in Guyana and on the islands of Mauritius and Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
Roystonea oleracea is a large palm which reaches heights of 40 metres (130 ft). Stems are grey or whitish-grey. and range from 46–66 centimetres (18–26 in) in diameter. The upper portion of the stem is encircled by leaf sheaths, forming a green portion known as the crownshaft which is normally about 2 m (6.6 ft) long. Individuals are reported to have 16–22 or 20–22 leaves. Leaves consist of a 60–100 cm (24–39 in) long petiole and a 4–4.6 m (13–15 ft) rachis. The 1.4 m (4.6 ft) inflorescence bears white male and female flowers. Fruit are 12.6–17.6 millimetres (0.50–0.69 in) long and 7.6–10.4 mm (0.30–0.41 in) long, and turn purplish-black when ripe.