Roystonea altissima
Encyclopedia
Roystonea altissima is a species
of palm
which is endemic to hillsides and mountain
slopes near the interior of Jamaica
. The name altissima is Latin for "highest", however they are not the tallest species in the genus
Roystonea
. They are usually found just over sea-level to 760 metres (2,493.4 ft) in elevation.
which is normally 1.4–1.6 m (4.6–5.2 ft) long. Individuals have about 15 leaves with 4 metres (13.1 ft) rachis
es; the leaves hang well horizontal. The 1.2 m (3.9 ft) inflorescence
s bear violet male and female flowers. Fruit are 11.4–15.3 mm (0.448818897637795–0.602362204724409 ) long and 7.2 millimetre wide, and are black when ripe.
Roystoneae. The placement Roystonea within the Arecoideae is uncertain; a phylogeny based on plastid
DNA failed to resolve the position of the genus within the Arecoideae. As of 2008, there appear to be no molecular phylogenetic studies of Roystonea and the relationship between R. altissima and the rest of the genus is uncertain.
The species was first described by Scottish
botanist Philip Miller
as Palma altissima. The species was largely overlooked for the next 180 years until American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey
took a look at the royal palms as a whole. Apparently unaware of Miller's description, Bailey applied a new name, Roystonea jamaicana, to the species. In 1963 Harold E. Moore
synonymised Bailey's species with Miller's and proposed a new combination, R. altissima.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
which is endemic to hillsides and mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
slopes near the interior of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The name altissima is Latin for "highest", however they are not the tallest species in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Roystonea
Roystonea
Roystonea is a genus of eleven species of monoecious palms, native to the Caribbean Islands, and the adjacent coasts of Florida, Central and South America. Commonly known as the royal palms, the genus was named for Roy Stone, a U.S. Army engineer...
. They are usually found just over sea-level to 760 metres (2,493.4 ft) in elevation.
Description
Roystonea altissima is a large palm which reaches heights of 20 metres (66 ft). Stems are grey-brown and range from 25.5–35 cm (10–13.8 ) in diameter. The upper portion of the stem is encircled by leaf sheaths, forming a green portion known as the crownshaftCrownshaft
An elongated circumferential leaf base formation present on some species of palm is called a crownshaft.The leaf bases of some pinnate leaved palms form a sheath at the top of the trunk surrounding the bud where all the subsequent leaves are formed.The crownshaft...
which is normally 1.4–1.6 m (4.6–5.2 ft) long. Individuals have about 15 leaves with 4 metres (13.1 ft) rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
es; the leaves hang well horizontal. The 1.2 m (3.9 ft) inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s bear violet male and female flowers. Fruit are 11.4–15.3 mm (0.448818897637795–0.602362204724409 ) long and 7.2 millimetre wide, and are black when ripe.
Taxonomy
Roystonea is placed in the subfamily Arecoideae and the tribeTribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Roystoneae. The placement Roystonea within the Arecoideae is uncertain; a phylogeny based on plastid
Plastid
Plastids are major organelles found in the cells of plants and algae. Plastids are the site of manufacture and storage of important chemical compounds used by the cell...
DNA failed to resolve the position of the genus within the Arecoideae. As of 2008, there appear to be no molecular phylogenetic studies of Roystonea and the relationship between R. altissima and the rest of the genus is uncertain.
The species was first described by Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
botanist Philip Miller
Philip Miller
Philip Miller FRS was a Scottish botanist.Miller was chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1722 until he was pressured to retire shortly before his death...
as Palma altissima. The species was largely overlooked for the next 180 years until American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey
Liberty Hyde Bailey
Liberty Hyde Bailey was an American horticulturist, botanist and cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.-Biography:...
took a look at the royal palms as a whole. Apparently unaware of Miller's description, Bailey applied a new name, Roystonea jamaicana, to the species. In 1963 Harold E. Moore
Harold E. Moore
Harold Emery Moore, Jr. was an American botanist especially known for his work on the systematics of the palm family. He served as Director of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and was appointed Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Botany in 1978...
synonymised Bailey's species with Miller's and proposed a new combination, R. altissima.