Paurotis Palm, Everglades Palm

Acoelorraphe wrightii (Grisebach & H. Wendl.) H. Wendl. ex Beccari, Webbia 2: 109. 1907.

ah-seal-oh-RAY-phee  RIGHT-ee-eye

Arecaceae

Explanation of name: Acoelorraphe comes from Greek, a, without, coelos, hollow, and raphe, seam, in reference to the seamless seed, according to JON. Wrightii commemorates botanist Charles Wright (1811-1885). The “-ii” means belongs to.

Natural range: Dade, Collier, and Monroe counties, Florida, to Colombia (TOB, TOM, WU2). Swamps, hammocks (NE4)

Recognition: Palmate-leaved, multi-stemmed palm with leaning trunks. Petioles having large sharp teeth. Flower clusters feathery, drooping, emerging creamy-white, then turning rusty. Fruits cherry-sized, orange becoming black. Thatch palms (Thrinax, Coccothrinax) have similar leaves but are not as multi-stemmed and clumping, and have unarmed petioles.

Landscape uses: Mid sized, multistemmed, spreading, clumping, leaning palm useful for large spaces, best but not necessarily on moist sites. Gardeners often remove some trunks. The flower clusters are attractive, especially when the fruits are in their orange phase. According to HAE, manganese deficiency can occur on excessively alkaline sites. RI2 and HAE note that acid soils are best, although alkaline soils are tolerated with organic amendment.  Mn and K deficiencies are likely on excessively dry sites.

Notes: Contrary to several localized Florida sources, the correct spelling of the generic name is Acoelorraphe (FAR, INT).