Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Arecales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Serenoa repens
FAMILY
Arecaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Serenoa repens
FAMILY
Arecaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Serenoa repens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Serenoa repens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Serenoa repens
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 031-01-001:
Serenoa repens FAMILY Arecaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Serenoa repens
COMMON NAME:
Saw Palmetto
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service pnd_sere2_002_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm0303f_06
March Beaufort County SC
Hunting Island State Park
)
JK Marlow jkm0303g_01
March Beaufort County SC
Hunting Island State Park
Stem horizontal, atop or just below soil surface. Petioles often w prickles, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm0304g_16
April Beaufort County SC
Hunting Island State Park
The petiole is armed with stiff spines, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).
COMPARE
Palm and Palmetto species
)
JK Marlow jkm0304g_19
April Beaufort County SC
Hunting Island State Park
Leaf segments lack marginal fibers, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).
)
JK Marlow jkm0304h_20
April Beaufort County SC
Hunting Island State Park
Petiole ends abruptly in the blade base, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).
)
JK Marlow jkm0304i_14
April Beaufort County SC
Hunting Island State Park
Notice the new leaf at the bottom of the picture.
)
JK Marlow jkm161105_051
November Georgetown County SC
Huntington Beach State Park
Leaves upright, fan-like, nearly circular in outline, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
)
Keith Bradley kab_serenoa_repens_72812
November Miami-Dade County FL
Everglades National Park
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Serenoa repens
FAMILY
Arecaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Serenoa repens
FAMILY
Arecaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Serenoa repens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Serenoa repens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Serenoa repens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 031-01-001:
Serenoa repens
FAMILY
Arecaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Serenoa repens
1367
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: pine flatwoods, maritime forests, dunes, pine rocklands, and Florida dry prairie, xeric longleaf pine sandhills, scrubby pine flatwoods, and Florida scrub. Also used horticulturally, especially the gray (blue) forms, per Weakley's Flora
Native to South Carolina & Georgia
Common in GA Coastal Plain (rare in SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Petioles armed with sharp recurved teeth
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Palmately compound
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
3 petals
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Fall
Drupe
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006) p115
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p398
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p092
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p255
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p357
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p068
- Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995) p229
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p052
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p050
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p187
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p322
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