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Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Roystonea
Species: 11 species
Common Names:
Parts Used: heart and seeds
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PLANT DESCRIPTION |
| Characteristics: |
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. It contains some of the most recognizable and commonly cultivated palms in tropical and subtropical regions.
Roystonea is a genus of large, unarmed, single-stemmed palms with pinnate leaves. The large stature and striking appearance of a Roystonea palm makes it a notable aspect of the landscape. The stems, which were compared to stone columns by Louis and Elizabeth Agassiz in 1868, are smooth and columnar, although the trunks of R. altissima and R. maisiana are more slender than those of typical royal palms. Stems often are swollen and bulging along portions of their length, which may reflect years where growing conditions were better or worse than average. Leaf scars are often prominent along the stem, especially in young, rapidly-growing individuals. Stem colour ranges from grey-white to grey-brown except in R. violacea which have violet-brown or mauve stems. The largest royal palm, R. oleracea, reaches heights of 40 metres (130 ft), but most species are in the 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft) range
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Species
Roystonea altissima (Mill.) H.E.Moore
Roystonea borinquena O.F.Cook
Roystonea dunlapiana P.H.Allen
Roystonea lenis León
Roystonea maisiana (L.H.Bailey) Zona
Roystonea oleracea (Jacq.) O.F.Cook
† Roystonea palaea Poinar, 2002 (Miocene, Hipaniola)
Roystonea princeps (Becc.) Burret
Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F.Cook
Roystonea stellata León
Roystonea violacea León
Royal palms are widely planted for decorative purposes throughout their native region, and elsewhere in the tropics and subtropics. They are considered by many to be the most beautiful palm in the world. Royal palms are very fond of water and thrive on supplemental irrigation. They also do better in a soil with lots of humus.
Though mainly a decorative plant, royal palms do have some minor agricultural uses. The heart of the palm is used to make salad in some parts of the Caribbean, and its seeds can be used as substitutes for coffee beans.
Distribution and ecology:
Roystonea has a circum-Caribbean distribution which ranges from southern Florida in the north, to southern Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua in the east and Venezuela and Colombia in the south. Species are found throughout the Caribbean, although only Jamaica (with two native species) and Cuba (with five native species) have more than one native species.
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