Ciccothrinax sp.

[Surf Guy]

I bought this Coccothrinax as mariguama but would like a positive ID.

Thanks.

Mike

[Lowey]

Looks like miraguama to me, but it's not so easy to be sure at that size

[Ken Johnson]

I guess you could say the good news is it does not look like barbadensis/alta?

Very skinny leaflets like argentata but who is to say? There are so many "varieties" of these things and hybrids too.

[Kumar]

More argentata than argentea..but too early to say

[Surf Guy]

Thanks for the replies guy's. I would like top plant it but I want it to be mariguama. I guess I will have to postpone planting it unitl I have a positive ID or I can always go back to the nursery and buy a positively ID'd mariguama.

[aztropic]

Hate to say it but from the pictures,it does look like argentata.Miraguama leaves are usually very stiff and very white/silver on the underside.

aztropic

[Davidl]

To me it looks like it could have miraguama in it but the leaves look thin and not very stiff. I have some seeds I picked up from fairchild plant sale that were from a miraguama like plant as the man called it and they look similar to the ones posted here. Mine had small thin leafs when they were the size of yours. This was a night photo so not so great. Sometimes the silver does not come until later at least that is my observation.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Davidl

[aztropic]

[Creekside]

Mike, my miraguamas (from a very reliable seed source) look like yours. They, too, have leaflets that seem a bit narrower and less stiff.

[Surf Guy]

Thanks for the help guy's. It seems that this is a difficult palm to ID at this stage. I would hate to plant it and find out five years down the road it's not what I thought I planted. Oh well, I will have to look for another one.

How about this one? Mariguama or something else? I bopught it as mariguama just like the first picture.

[Surf Guy]

Also, what is wrong with argentata? Is it the least desirable Coccothrinax. I am not that familiar with this genus yet.

[aztropic]

How about this one? Mariguama or something else? I bopught it as mariguama just like the first picture.

[aztropic]

Also, what is wrong with argentata? Is it the least desirable Coccothrinax. I am not that familiar with this genus yet.

Absolutely nothing wrong with argentata.It is the only coccothrinax native to the U.S. (Florida Keys) so may be a little more common as seed is easy to obtain.

People just seem to prefer the stiffer leaved species.

aztropic

[Walter John]

Thanks for the help guy's. It seems that this is a difficult palm to ID at this stage. I would hate to plant it and find out five years down the road it's not what I thought I planted. Oh well, I will have to look for another one.

How about this one? Mariguama or something else? I bopught it as mariguama just like the first picture.

Looks barbadensisy Mike.

[PalmatierMeg]

I took photos of my C. miraguama and C. argentata. They are quite different. C. miraguama has very rigid fronds - almost like plastic - while C. argentata's fronds are relaxed, almost limp. You can't go by the sheens on the underside of the fronds because both palms have them. C. argentata is more silvery and glints in the sun - why it is called "Florida silver palm".

Coccothrinax miraguama. Note rigidity of fronds.

Coccothrinax miraguama: back of frond

Coccothrinax argentata. Note "relaxed" fronds

Coccothrinax argentata: back of frond highly "silvered"

[MattyB]

Keep in mind that there's like 3 or 4 C. miraguama varieties too. Some of them look like C. argentata from what I've seen. I personally like the stiff silvery one too.

[Surf Guy]

I have another one in my front yard bought as mariguama and it probably is something else. I am kind of disappointed about this.

[paulgila]

coccothrinax are kinda like pritchardia,its tough to tell them all apart.

[Surf Guy]

Thanks Aztropic. I will just leave the ones I have in the ground (2) alone and look for one that looks like mariguama. Now I know what to look for. Thanks for all the help guys.