Common Names of Common (and Uncommon) Palms*
by Bill Bittle
Everyone who collects palms has certainly had the experience of making a "find" in a nursery, knowing in his or her heart that this is an unusual plant, and asking the nurseryman for an identification, often to be told that the plant is a "Fan palm". Even worse, perhaps, is when the nurseryman tells you that your plant is a "Seaforthia elegans", which sounds very much as if he or she really has a grip on palm classification. You purchase it, rush it home and find that there is no such name listed in any of the hugely expensive and authoritative books you have accumulated.
For reasons known only to nurserymen and growers themselves, there has been a tendency for decades to sell most plants under "common names". For such plants as Sweet William, Four-O'clocks and Castor Oil Plant, few problems are encountered. These garden plants have carried unique and stable common names for so many years that most of us would have serious difficulty identifying them any other way. But when dealing with relatively uncommon plants (and with perhaps 15 exceptions, most palms are "uncommon" in most parts of the country), relatively few common names are known, and dealers tend to revert to descriptive or geographical terms (e.g., "Fan palm", "Madagascar palm", etc.)
Another problem is that many common names are not unique to a single genus or species, being applied to a variety of palms (e.g. "bamboo palm", applied to many species; "Lipstick palm", "Maharajah palm", "Pinang rajah", all applied in one source or another to Cyrtostachys renda).
I would say that, in the main, nursery terms fall into several broad categories:
Perhaps I am being too hard on nurserymen and growers. It is certainly true that the general public regards botanical names as cumbersome and unpronounceable (if not altogether occult), and avoids them altogether. Even many collectors favor common names for their plants. There is certainly no problem encountered when there is a general agreement on a common name, and when this name is reserved for only one species of palm. Everyone knows what a Queen Palm is, and I know of no other palm that has been given this name.
But there is a clear advantage to employing botanical names for less common palms, as well as in knowing the common names that are applied to a any of the more common palms. I have talked to a number of knowledgeable people recently, who have seen Majesty palms (now found everywhere), but who could not easily determine what they are botanically, since lists of common names are in short supply. In the interest of helping to clarify the common name problem (but hopefully not to further confuse the issue), I have compiled a list from a number of widely used sources in an attempt to afford a handy guide to common names/botanical names of many palms.
In the following, I have observed some fairly arbitrary rules:
1. Palm names in foreign languages are, in the main, not included. If you look through Hodel's excellent book on the Chamaedoreas, or Henderson, et al., Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas, you will find quite literally hundreds of local Spanish names for many of the palms. Since these are not in widespread cultivation outside of the area where the palms grow, the casual collector will probably never worry about its common name.
2. In most cases, I have avoided heavy dependence on local proliferate English names, especially from Australian authors. Many of these names are much restricted in their use. Many also apply to a large number of species not commonly grown in the United States. For example, Jones lists dozens of names for the many varieties of Calamus which are native to his country, and I have included only a few of these.
3. I have tried to represent variants of common names in order to make utilization of this list somewhat easier. One could argue that Betel palm and Betel nut palm are redundant representations of Areca catechu. But many other palms are represented by common names which are equally similar, but which apply to quite different palms (e.g. Chinese fan palm and Chinese windmill palm for Livistona sp. and Trachycarpus fortunei, respectively).
4. In some areas, common name designations consist of the genus or species name, employed with a modifier. For example, Tallier palm for Corypha talliera, Robinson's fan palm for Livistona robinsoniana, or Carpentaria palm for Carpentaria acuminata. In some cases, I have included some examples of this type, but only when there is very widespread use of the term, (e.g., Bismarck palm for Bismarckia nobilis).
I have used six primary sources in compiling this list, each name indicating the work from which the citation is taken, as follows: (G) Graff, (MC) McCurrach, (UD) Uhl and Dransfield, (BR) Blombery and Rodd, (S) Stevenson, and (J) Jones. Full citations of these sources appear at the end of the listing.
There will certainly be some disagreement on certain of the common names and their application to a given species of palm. This list is not meant to be a critical one; rather it is a collection of terms unmodified from their use by the various authors. There may also be some inconsistencies; but "to err is human", etc.
The List of Common Names |
|
| Acai palm (J) Euterpe oleracea Adonidia
(BR) Veitchia merrilli African bamboo palm (J) Raphia vinifera African oil palm (G) Elaeis guineensis African palmyra palm (J) Borassus aethiopum African wine palm (G) Raphia vinifera Alexander palm (G) Archontophoenix alexandrae Alexander palm (G) Ptychosperma elegans Alexandra palm (BR) Archontophoenix alexandrae American cotton palm (J) Washingtonia filifera American oil palm (UD) Elaeis oleifera Andean wax palm (UD) Ceroxylon sp. Ant rattan (UD) Korthalsia sp. Areca palm (G) Areca sp. Areca palm (G) Dypsis lutescens Arikury palm (5) Syagrus schizophylla Assai palm (G) Brahea edulis Assai palm (UD) Euterpe sp. Atherton palm (J) Laccospadix australasica Australian cabbage palm (G) Livistona australis Australian fan palm (G) Livistona australis Australian fan palm (J) Licuala ramsayi Bamboo palm (G) Chamaedorea erumpens Bamboo palm (G) Rhapis excelsa Bamboo palm (J) Chamaedorea microspadix Barbel palm (MC) Acanthophoenix rubra Barrel palm (G) Colpothrinax wrightii Beguine palm (S) Drymophloeus beguini Belmore sentry palm (BR) Howea belmoreana Bermuda fan palm (J) Sabal bermudana Betel nut palm (G) Areca catechu Betel palm (BR) Areca catechu Big mountain palm (J) Hedyscepe canturburyana Bismarck palm (S) Bismarckia nobilis Black fiber palm (G) Arenga pinnata Black palm (UD) Normanbya normanbyi Black sugar palm (S) Arenga pinnata Blue hesper palm (BR) Brahea armata Blue latan palm (J) Latania loddigesii Blue palm (J) Sabal violacea Blue palmetto (BR) Sabal minor Blue palmetto (G) Rhapidophyllum hystrix Blue palmetto (G) Sabal palmetto Bomean sago palm (UD) Eugeissonia utilis Bottle palm (G) Colpothrinax wrightii Bottle palm (G) Hyophorbe americaulis Bottle palm (G) Hyophorbe lagenicaulis Brittle thatch palm (S) Thrinax microcarpus Broom palm (UD) Coccothrinax sp. Buccaneer palm (UD) Pseudophoenix vinifera Buccaneer palm (UD) Pseudophoenix sargentii Bull thatch palm (J) Sabal aresana Bungalow palm (BR) Archtontophoenix cunninghamiana Buri palm (S) Polyancrococos caudescens Buniti palm (UD) Mauritius sp. Bush palmetto (G) Sabal minor Butterfly palm (G) Dypsis lutescens Cabada palm (UD) Dypsis cabadae Cabbage palm (G) Sabal palmetto Cabbage palmetto (G) Sabal palmetto Cabbage tree (G) Sabal palmetto Canary date palm (G) Phoenix canariensis Canary Island date palm (G) Phoenix canariensis Cane palm (G) Calamus sp. Cane palm (G) Dypsis lutescens Caranday palm (BR) Copernicia alba Caranday palm (UD) Trithrinax sp. Caribbean royal palm (BR) Roystonea oleracea Carnauba wax palm (BR) Copernicia prunifera Central Australian fan palm (BR) Livistona mariae Ceylon date palm (MC) Phoenix zeylanica Chamaerops excelsa (old usage) Trachycarpus fortunei Cherry palm (UD) Pseudophoenix vinifera Chilean wine palm (G) Jubaea chilensis Chinese fan palm (G) Latania sp. Chinese fan palm (G) Livistona chinensis Chinese windmill palm (liD) Trachycarpus fortunei Chonta palm (UD) Juania sp. Christmas palm (G) Veitchia merrillii Chusan palm (UD) Trachycarpus fortunei Cliff date (G) Phoenix rupicola Climbing chamaedorea (J) Chamaedorea elatior Clumping fishtail palm (S) Caryota mitis Clustered fishtail palm (G) Caryota mitis Coco de mer (MC) Lodoicea maldivica Coco verde (J) Syagrus pseudococos Coconut palm (G) Cocos nucifera Cocos australis Butia capitata Cocos plumosa Syagrus romanzoffianum Cohune palm (UD) Attalea cohune Collinia elegans (BR) Chamaedorea elegans Coquito palm (BR) Jubaea chilensis Corkscrew palmetto (S) Sabal etonia Corojo palm (MC) Acrocomia mexicana Coyure palm (UD) Aiphanes acanthophylla Cuban belly palm (S) Gastrococos crispa Cuban petticoat palm (S) Copernicia macroglossa Cuban royal palm (G) Roystonea regia Curly palm (G) Howea belmoreana Date palm (G) Phoenix dactylifera Date-sugar palm (S) Phoenix sylvestris Desert fan palm (G) Washingtonia filifera Dhoum palm (G) Hyphaene thebaica Double coconut (MC) Lodoicea maldivica Doum palm (G) Hyphaene thebaica Dwarf fan palm (J) Livistona muelleri Dwarf palmetto (G) Sabal minor Dwarf royal palm (J) Veitchia merrilli East African doum palm (BR) Hyphaene compressa East Indian wine palm (G) Phoenix sylvestris European fan palm (G) Chamoerops humilis Everglades palm (G) Acoelorraphe wrightii Fan palm (G) Chamaerops, Coccothrinax, Washingtonia Feather duster palm (G) Rhopalostylis sapida Fern rhapis (G) Rhapis flabelliformis Fiji fan palm (G) Pritchardia pacifica Finger palm (J) Rhapis multifida Fishtail lawyer cane (BR) Calamus caryotoides Fishtail palm (G) Caryota sp. Florida silver palm (S) Coccothrinax argentata Florida thatch palm (BR) Thrinax radiata Florida thatch palm (G) Thrinax parviflora Flour palm (J) Phoenix farinifera Footstool palm (BR) Livistona rotundifolia Formosa palm (J) Arenga engleri Fountain palm (G) Livistona chinensis Foxtail palm (UD) Wodyetia bifurcata Franceschi palm (MC) Brahea elegans Gebang palm (BR) Corypha elata Giant fishtail palm (J) Caryota no Giant mountain fishtail palm (J) Caryota maxima Gingerbread palm (G) Hyphaene thebaica Golden feather palm (G) Dypsis lutescens Good luck palm (G) Chamaedorea elegans Gru Gru palm (G) Acrocomia totai Guadalupe palm (G) Brahea edulis Guano palm (BR) Copernicia glabrescens Hair palm (G) Chamaerops humilis Hesper palm (J) Brahea sp. Hispaniolan silver palm (S) Coccothrinax argentea Hog palm (UD) Hyospathe concinna Horn palm (UD) Iriartea sp. Hurricane palm (G) Ptychosperma macarthuri Hurricane palm (MC) Dictyosperma album India date palm (G) Phoenix sylvestris Iron thatch palm (J) Thrinax parviflora Ivory cane palm (J) Pinanga kuhlii Ivory nut palm (G) Phytelephas macrocarpa Ivory nut palm (UD) Metroxylon sp. Ivory palm (UD) Phytelephas sp. Ivory palm (UD) Palandra aequatorialis Jaggary palm (BR) Caryota urens Jamaican thatch palm (S) Thrinax excelsa Jata palm (BR) Copernicia rigida Jelly palm (G) Butia capitata Jellybean palm (UD) Synechanthus sp. Joey palm (J) Johannesteijsmannia sp. Kafir palm (UD) Jubaeopsis caffra Kentia palm (G) Howea sp. Kepang palm (UD) Pholidocarpus macrocarpus Key palm (G) Thrinax microcarpa Key palm (UD) Thrinax sp. King palm (UD) Archontophoenix sp. Lady palm (G) Rhapis excelsa Large lady palm (G) Rhapis excelsa Lata palm (S) Bactris major Lawyer cane (BR) Calamus australis Licuala palm (UD) Licuala sp. Licury palm (UD) Syagrus coronata |
Lipstick palm (BR) Cyrtostachys renda Little lady palm (G) Rhapis excelsa (?) Llume palm (MC) Gaussia princeps Lontar palm (BR) Borassus flabellifer Loulu hiwa palm (BR) Pritchardia martii Loulu palm (BR) Pritchardia sp. Macarthur feather palm (G) Ptychosperma macarthuri Macaw palm (BR) Aiphanes erosa Macaw palm (S) Acrocomia aculeata Majestic palm (J) Ravenea rivularis Majesty palm (UD) Ravenea rivularis Malagasy palm (S) Dypsis madagascariensis Manac palm (MC) Calyptronoma swarztii Mangrove date palm (J) Phoenix paludosa Mangrove palm (J, UD) Nypa fruticans Manila palm (G) Veitchia merrilli Maya palm (UD) Gaussia maya Mazari palm (S) Nannorrhops ritchiana Metallic (metal) palm (J) Chamaedorea metallica Mexican blue palm (G) Brahea armata Mexican fan palm (G) Washingtonia robusta Mexican palmetto (BR) Sabal mexicana Mexican silver thatch palm (J) Coccothrinax readii Millstream palm (BR) Livistona alfredii Miniature date palm (G) Phoenix roebelenii Miniature fan palm (G) Rhapis excelsa Miraguama (J) Coccothrinax miraguama Monkey cap palm (UD) Manicaria sp. Moreche palm (UD) Mauritius sp. Mountain cabbage (UD) Prestoea montana Mountain fishtail palm (J) Caryota obtusa Mountain palm (G) Euterpe globosa Neanthe bella (G) Chamaedorea elegans Necklace palm (J) Chamaedorea geonomiformis Needle palm (G) Rhapidophyllum hystrix Nihau palm (G) Rhopalostylis sapida Nipah palm (UD) Nypa fruticans Norfolk palm (UD) Rhopalostylis baueri Northern Kentia palm (J) Gronophyllum ramsayi Old man palm (S) Coccothrinax crinita Olive palm (S) Drymophloeus olivaeformis Overtop palm (J) Syagrus amara Overtop palm (MC) Rhyticocos amara Pacaya palm (J) Chamaedorea tepejilote Palmetto (G) Sabal palmetto Palmetto palm (G) Sabal palmetto Palmetto thatch (G) Thrinax parviflora Palmyra palm (G) Borassus flabellifer Paradise palm (G) Howea sp. Parlor palm (G) Chamaedorea elegans Paurotis palm (BR) Acoelorraphe wrightii Peaberry palm (BR) Thrinax morrisii Peach palm (G) Bactris gasipaes Peach palm (G) Thrinax sp. Petticoat palm (G) Copernicia macroglossa Petticoat palm (G) Washingtonia filifera Piassaba palm (MC) Attalea funifera Piassava palm (UD) Leopoldinia sp. Piccabeen palm (BR) Archtontophoenix cunninghamiana Pig nut palm (G) Hyophorbe sp. Pigmy date palm (G) Phoenix roebelenii Pimento palm (UD) Schippia concolor Pinang palm (IJD) Nenga sp. Pinang palm (UD) Pinanga sp. Pondoland palm (UD) Jubaeopsis caffra Porcupine palm (G) Rhapidophyllum hystrix Potato chip palm (J) Chamaedorea tuerckhemii Princess palm (G) Dictyosperma sp. Puerto Rican hat palm (G) Sabal causiarum Queen palm (G) Butia capitata Queen palm (G) Syagrus romanzoffianum Queensland black palm (BR) Normanbya normanbyi Raffia palm (G) Raphia farinifera Rattan palm (G) Calamus sp. Rattan palm (UD) Daemonorops sp. Red latan palm (BR) Latania lontoroides Redneck palm (J) Dypsis leptocheilos Reed rhapis (G) Rhapis humilis Ribbon fan palm (J) Livistona decipiens Ribbon palm (G) Livistona decipiens Rio Grande palmetto (S) Sabal mexicana Rock palm (MC) Brahea dulcis Roebelini palm (G) Pheonix roebelenii Rootspine palm (UD) Crysophila sp. Rotan palm (UD) Daemonorops sp. Rotan palm (UD) Calamus sp. Royal palm (G) Roystonea sp. Ruffle palm (G) Aiphanes caryotifolia Ruffle palm (J) Aiphanes aculeata Sagisi palm (UD) Heterospathe elata Sago palm (G) Metroxylon sp. Sagu palm (UD) Metroxylon sp. Salak palm (UD) Salacca zalacca San Jose Hesper palm (BR) Brahea brandegeei Sand palm (5) Allogoptera arenaria Satake palm (5) Satakentia liukiuensis Savannah palm (BR) Sabal mauritiiformis Saw cabbage (G) Acoelorraphae wrightii Scrub palmetto (G) Sabal etonia Scrub palmetto (G) Sabal minor Seaforthia (G) Ptyschosperma sp. Seaforthia elegans (BR) Archontophoenix cunninghamiana Sealing wax palm (UD) Cyrtostachys renda Seamberty palm (G) Coccothrinax sp. Senegal date palm (G) Phoenix reclinata Sentry palm (G) Howea forsteriana Serdang palm (UD) Pholidocarpus sp. Serdant (1) Livistona saribus Sierra palm (5) Gaussia princeps Silver date palm (J) Phoenix sylvestris Silver palm (G) Coccothrinax argentata Silvery rootspine palm (5) Cryosophila argentea Silvery thatch palm (5)Thrinax microcarpus Sinaloa hesper palm (J) Brahea aculeata Skyduster (J) Washingtonia robusta Skyduster (J) Manicaria sp. Slender lady palm (BR) Rhapis humilis Solitaire palm (G) Ptychosperma elegans Sonoran palmetto (J) Sabal uresana South American royal palm (G) Roystonea oleracea Spear palm (J) Balaka microcarpa Spindle palm (G) Hypophorbe verschaffeltii Spine palm (G) Aiphanes caryotifolia Spiny club palm (G) Bactris gasipaes Spiny fiber palm (J) Trithrinax acanthocoma Star-nut palm (MC) Astrocaryum aculeatum Stilt palm (UD) Iriartea sp. Stilt palm (UD) Socratea sp. Sugar palm (G) Arenga pinnata Syrup palm (G) Jubaea chilensis Tagua nut palm (UD) Palandra aequatorialis Tagua nut palm (UD) Phytelephas sp. Talipot palm (G) Corypha umbraculifera Texas palmetto (G) Sabal texana (mexicana) Thatch palm (G) Coccothrinax sp. Thatch palm (UD) Thrinax sp. Thatchleaf palm (G) Howea forsteriana Thread palm (G) Washingtonia robusta & Tiger palm (J) Pinanga maculata Toddy palm (G) Borassus flabellifer Toddy palm (G) Caryota urens Triangle palm (5) Dypsis decaryi True sago palm (UD) Metroxylon sp. Tufted fishtail palm (G) Caryota mitis Umbrella palm (BR) Hedyscepe canterburyana Umbrella palm (G) Howea sp. Vanuatu palm (J) Licuala grandis Vegetable ivory palm (J) Hyphaene petersiana Walking stick palm (G) Linospadix monostachya Wanga palm (BR) Pigafetta filaris Washington palm (G) Washingtonia sp. Wax palm (G) Ceroxylon andicola Weddell palm (G) Lytocaryum wedellianum Weeping cabbage palm (J) Livistona decipiens Wild date (G) Phoenix sylvestris Windmill palm (G) Trachycarpus fortunei Windmill palm (UD) Chamaerops humilis Window palm (UD) Reinhardtia gracilis Wine palm (G) Caryota urens Wine palm (G) Jubaea chilensis Wine palm (J) Raphia hookeri Yagua palm (UD) Attalea macrocarpa Yatay palm (UD) Butia yatay Yellow butterfly palm (G) Dypsis lutescens Yellow latan palm (BR) Latania verschaffeltii Yellow palm (G) Dypsis lutescens Yellow princess palm (5) Dictyosperma aureum Zombi palm (UD) Zombia antillarum |
References:
Blombery, Alec and Tony Rodd, Palms of the World, Angus and Robertson, North Ryde, NSW, Australia, 1982.
Graf, Alfred Byrd, Exotica, Third Edition, Roehrs and Co., Rutherford, NJ. 1974.
Jones, David L., Palms Throughout the World, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 1995.
McCurrach, James C., Palms of the World, Dale King Publishers, Globe, AZ. 1960.
Stevenson, George S., Palms of South Florida (Privately printed, 1974, as a guide to the palms of Fairchild Gardens).
Uhl, Natalie, and John Dransfield, Genera Palmarum, Allen Press, Lawrence, KS. 1987.
* This article was originally published in the Bulletin of the Palm Society of South Texas and is reprinted here with permission from the author/editor.
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