Coccothrinax alta

Coccothrinax alta (palma plateada, palma de abanico,[1] Tyre palm)[2] is a palm which is native to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Like other members of the genus, C. alta is a fan palm. Trees are 2–6 m tall, with some individuals getting up to 11 m. Flowers are light yellow, and fruit are purple-black when ripe. It is found on lower elevations, but to 350 m above sea level.[1]

Coccothrinax alta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Coccothrinax
Species:
C. alta
Binomial name
Coccothrinax alta

It is found on limestone substrates in northern Puerto Rico, and on volcanic substrates on the islands off eastern Puerto Rico. It has been recorded from Puerto Rico proper, Vieques and Culebra; Saint Croix, St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Guana Island, Tortola and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.[1]

George Proctor (in Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong, 2005[1]) considers this to be a valid species on the basis of its shorter, more slender trunk, fewer stamens and much smaller fruit. Rafaël Govaerts[3] follows Read (1979) and considers it a synonym of Coccothrinax barbadensis.

References
  1. Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro; Mark T. Strong (2005). "Monocots and Gymnosperms of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands". Contributions of the United States National Herbarium. 52: 1–405.
  2. "Coccothrinax images". Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Guide to Palms. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  3. "Coccothrinax alta". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Retrieved 2019-02-25.


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