Miniature coconut palm

Description

Syagrus weddelliana, also known as the miniature coconut palm or Weddell's palm, is a feather palm in the palm family. It is closely related to the coconut palm, but is much smaller and more cold tolerant, taking down to about 25 °F (−4 °C). This palm can be successfully grown in hardiness zones 10b–11. The palm has a small stature, only growing to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m). In rare cases, this palm can grow to 10 feet (3.0 m), with a trunk diameter of about 3+1⁄2 inches (9 cm). After flowering, it produces small edible fruits that resemble and taste like coconuts. It has been reported that oil extracted from the nuts has been important commercially. This palm should be grown in well draining soil that is constantly moist, but not soggy, as this can lead to lethal root rot. This palm is native to the State of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. It grows naturally in the rainforests of the region. It is a medium altitude palm, growing in altitudes of 50–800 m (160–2,620 ft). It thrives in the humid shade of the Brazilian rainforests. Originally, the palm was placed in the same genus as the coconut palm, under the name Cocos weddelliana, before moving to the queen palm genus, Syagrus, and finally moving to its own genus, Lytocaryum. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, Larry Noblick and Alan Meerow subsumed Lytocaryum back into Syagrus in 2015. Syagrus is a genus of Arecaceae (palms), native to South America, with one species endemic to the Lesser Antilles. The genus is closely related to the Cocos, or coconut genus, and many Syagrus species produce edible seeds similar to the coconut. Palms in this genus usually have solitary stems; clustered stems are less common, and a few are stolon-like subterranean. The stems are normally spineless, but some species have spiny leaf sheaths or spines. Those species that have upright trunks grow 2–36 metres (7–118 ft) tall with stems that are 6–35 centimetres (2.4–13.8 in) in diameter. The leaves of all but one species, S. smithii, are pinnately compound. Leaf sheaths are split along their entire length, and consequently, crownshafts are not present in this genus. The transition from the leaf sheath to the petiole can be gradual and difficult to identify, but in species where they can be distinguished, leaf sheaths are 2.5–180 cm (1–71 in) long and the petioles are 0–30 cm (0–12 in).