young shoot icon Home All plants About

Sabal mexicana Mart.

Rio grande palmetto (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Arecales > Arecaceae > Sabal

Characteristics

A large palm. The trunk is 15-20 m high and 35-60 cm across. The trunk is grey and covered with old leaf bases. The leaves are big and fan shaped. They are greyish-green and 2-3 m long. The leaf stalk runs into the leaf blade. The leaf stalks are stiff and 1-1.5 m long. The leaves are divided for about 3/4 of their length into numerous segments which droop. The flower stalks grow among the leaves. The flowers are white. The fruit occur in large clusters and have small dark black fruit. These are 1.5 cm long.
More
Stems aerial, 20--35 cm diam. Leaves 10--30, strongly costapalmate; hastula acute to acuminate, 9.5--15.5 cm; segments filiferous, 80--145 ´ 3.2--5.3 cm; apices bifid2-cleft. Inflorescences with 3 orders of branching (not counting main inflorescence axis), arching, about ± as long as leaves. Flowers 3.7--6.5 mm. Fruits black, oblate-spheroid, length 13.8--17 mm, diam. diam. 14.8--19.3 mm. diam.. Seeds 5.4--7.4 mm, diam. 8.6--13.3 mm diam. 2n = 36.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 4.0
Mature height (meter) 10.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

A tropical plant. It will grow in tropical and temperate regions. It is common in the lowland vegetation of Mexico. It grows near sea level. A very hardy palm. It thrives in hot dry climates. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
More
Mesic hammocks, floodplains, levees, river banks and swamps from sea level to 50 metres. Rich soil of the bottom lands near the coast.
Mesic hammocks, floodplains, levees, river banks and swamps from sea level to 50 metres. Rich soil of the bottom lands near the coast.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 4-7
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-10

Usage

The palm heart is eaten. It is dried and pounded into a meal. The fruit is eaten. It only has a small amount of pulp.
Uses animal food bee plant environmental use fiber food material medicinal
Edible fruits leaves saps
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

The plant is grown from seed. The seed are small and round and sprout easily.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Sabal mexicana unspecified picture

Distribution

Sabal mexicana world distribution map, present in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and United States of America

Conservation status

Sabal mexicana threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:669717-1
WFO ID wfo-0000299293
COL ID 6WYNL
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Inodes mexicana Sabal exul Sabal mexicana Sabal texana Inodes exul Inodes texana Erythea loretensis Sabal guatemalensis
WorldFloraDB 2024