Sabal

Sabal is a genus of New World palms, commonly known as the palmetto. They are fan palms (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets.

Description

The Sabal genus is native to the New World, from the southern United States, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas in the north to Argentina in the south. The most northerly species is the cabbage palmetto (S. palmetto), which reaches the North Carolina coast, while the most southerly is the southern palmetto (S. paraguayensis), which reaches northern Argentina.

Species

There are about 15-20 species in the genus, including:

• Sabal bermudana - Bermuda palmetto
• Sabal causiarum - Puerto Rico palmetto
• Sabal etonia - scrub palmetto
• Sabal miamiensis - Miami palmetto
• Sabal minor - dwarf palmetto
• Sabal palmetto - cabbage palmetto
• Sabal pumos - blue-stem palmetto
• Sabal uresana - Sonoran palmetto

Uses

Many Sabal species are used for various practical purposes. For example, the leaves of the cabbage palmetto (S. palmetto) are used for thatching roofs and for making brooms, while the fruits of several species are used for food.

Conservation

Several species of Sabal are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and over-exploitation. For example, the Miami palmetto (S. miamiensis) is listed as endangered by the IUCN.

See also

• List of Arecaceae genera
• List of palms native to the Caribbean

Sabal Resources
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