Schippia
Encyclopedia
Schippia concolor, the Mountain Pimento or Silver Pimeto, is a medium-sized palm
species that is native to Belize
and Guatemala
. Named for its discoverer, Australian botanist William A. Schipp, the species is threatened by habitat loss
.
(or palmate) leaves. The stem, which is 5 to 10 m (16.4 to 32.8 ft) tall and 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 ) in diameter, is usually covered by the remains of old, dead leaves (but in areas where fires are frequent the corky bark of the stem may be exposed throughout the length of the stem). Individuals bear six to 15 leaves which consist of a 2 m (6.6 ft) petiole
and a roughly circular leaf blade which is about 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter divided into 30 leaflets. The fruit are white, spherical and up to 2.5 cm (0.984251968503937 in) in diameter.
placed the genus Schippia in the subfamily Coryphoideae
, the tribe
Corypheae
and the subtribe Thrinacinae Subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed that the Old World
and New World
members of the Thrinacinae are not closely related. As a consequence of this, Schippia and related genera have been placed in their own tribe, Cryosophileae
. Within this tribe, Schippia appears to be most closely related to the genus Cryosophila
.
The species was discovered by Australian botanist William A. Schipp in 1932 and described by German taxonomist Max Burret
in 1933. Burret named the genus in honour of Schipp. The holotype
upon which the species (and the genus) was based, was Schipp's collection, assigned the collection number S367. This specimen was destroyed when the Berlin Herbarium was bombed during the Second World War.
Eight to nine days after the seed is hydrated, the cotyledon
expands, pushes out of the seed, and grows downward into the soil. About 20 days after germination, the cotyledon reaches a length of about 15 cm (5.9 in) and begins to swell. By the thirtieth day the lower 3 or are swollen, and about half the reserves in the seed have been mobilised. At about this point in time, the young root (the radicle
) emerges. Sixty days after germination the transfer of reserved from the seed has been completed, but it is only after 80 or 90 days that the young shoot (the plumule) emerges from the cotyledon.
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...
species that is native to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Named for its discoverer, Australian botanist William A. Schipp, the species is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
.
Description
Schippia concolor is a medium-sized, single-stemmed palm with fan-shapedFan palm
Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms in various genera with leaves that are palmately compound...
(or palmate) leaves. The stem, which is 5 to 10 m (16.4 to 32.8 ft) tall and 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 ) in diameter, is usually covered by the remains of old, dead leaves (but in areas where fires are frequent the corky bark of the stem may be exposed throughout the length of the stem). Individuals bear six to 15 leaves which consist of a 2 m (6.6 ft) petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
and a roughly circular leaf blade which is about 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter divided into 30 leaflets. The fruit are white, spherical and up to 2.5 cm (0.984251968503937 in) in diameter.
Taxonomy
Schippia is a monotypic genus—it includes only a single species, S. concolor. In the first edition of Genera Palmarum (1987), Natalie Uhl and John DransfieldJohn Dransfield
John Dransfield is an honorary research fellow and former head of palm research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, as well as being an authority on the phylogenetic classification of palms....
placed the genus Schippia in the subfamily Coryphoideae
Coryphoideae
Coryphoideae is a subfamily of the palm tree family, Arecaceae....
, the tribe
Tribe (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...
Corypheae
Corypheae
Corypheae is a tribe of palm trees in the subfamily Coryphoideae. The extinct palm Palaeoraphe is placed into the subtribe Livistoninae....
and the subtribe Thrinacinae Subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed that the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
and New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
members of the Thrinacinae are not closely related. As a consequence of this, Schippia and related genera have been placed in their own tribe, Cryosophileae
Cryosophileae
Cryosophileae is a tribe of palms in the subfamily Coryphoideae. The tribe ranges from southern South America, through Central America, into Mexico and the Caribbean...
. Within this tribe, Schippia appears to be most closely related to the genus Cryosophila
Cryosophila
Cryosophila is a genus of medium-sized fan palms which range from central Mexico to northern Colombia. They can be readily distinguished from related genera by their distinctive downward-pointing stem-spines, which are actually modified roots....
.
The species was discovered by Australian botanist William A. Schipp in 1932 and described by German taxonomist Max Burret
Max Burret
Karl Ewald Maximilian Burret, commonly known as Max Burret was a German botanist.Burret was born in Saffig near Andernach in the Prussian Rhine Province. He originally studied law at Lausanne and Munich at the instigation of his father...
in 1933. Burret named the genus in honour of Schipp. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
upon which the species (and the genus) was based, was Schipp's collection, assigned the collection number S367. This specimen was destroyed when the Berlin Herbarium was bombed during the Second World War.
Reproduction and growth
Schippia concolor exhibit the unusual strategy of transferring all stored resources from the seed to the seedling before any shoot growth occurs. In most plants, the seedling remains attached to the seed, gradually using the stored resources for growth, until those resources are exhausted. At that point, the connection withers, detaching the remains of the seed.Eight to nine days after the seed is hydrated, the cotyledon
Cotyledon
A cotyledon , is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upon germination, the cotyledon may become the embryonic first leaves of a seedling. The number of cotyledons present is one characteristic used by botanists to classify the flowering plants...
expands, pushes out of the seed, and grows downward into the soil. About 20 days after germination, the cotyledon reaches a length of about 15 cm (5.9 in) and begins to swell. By the thirtieth day the lower 3 or are swollen, and about half the reserves in the seed have been mobilised. At about this point in time, the young root (the radicle
Radicle
In botany, the radicle is the first part of a seedling to emerge from the seed during the process of germination. The radicle is the embryonic root of the plant, and grows downward in the soil...
) emerges. Sixty days after germination the transfer of reserved from the seed has been completed, but it is only after 80 or 90 days that the young shoot (the plumule) emerges from the cotyledon.