Royal Palms, Roystonea regia, in native habitat

[lagartos]

In a very small part of northeastern Yucatán state in Mexico suddenly you begin seeing Royal Palms, Roystonea regia, growing wild in forests along the road. I'm told that in this region this is the only remaining population of them. They're all on the property of a large land owner. I'm told that he is aware that they are something special. Ranching is big is this area, and much palm land has been cleared for growing corn (maize). It's good to see young palms rising among the older ones.

Jim

[awkonradi]

Beautiful. Thanks for posting. What would be the smaller fan palms below the Royals?

[lagartos]

"awkonradi" asks: "What would be the smaller fan palms below the Royals?"

In this area our two main fan palms are the Huano, Sabal yapa, and the Chit, Thrinax radiata. Best I can see, the fronds of the fan palms below the Royal Palms are costapalmate, meaning they'd be Sabal yapa. Also, in the eastern zone where the picture is taken there's more rainfall, favoring Sabal yapa over Thrinax radiata. This being fenced-in private land, I couldn't go take a closer look.

[DoomsDave]

Madre de dios!

Beautiful

keep the pictures coming, maybe get permission from El Don . . .

gather some seeds?

[Xenon]

Is that an Acrocomia at the center bottom? The royals look very lush!

[sarasota alex]

"awkonradi" asks: "What would be the smaller fan palms below the Royals?"

In this area our two main fan palms are the Huano, Sabal yapa, and the Chit, Thrinax radiata. Best I can see, the fronds of the fan palms below the Royal Palms are costapalmate, meaning they'd be Sabal yapa. Also, in the eastern zone where the picture is taken there's more rainfall, favoring Sabal yapa over Thrinax radiata. This being fenced-in private land, I couldn't go take a closer look.

Actually both are in the picture. Sabal yapa on the left and Thrinax radiata in the middle further down below the Royals.

Great pics! Thanks!

[edric]

Thanks Jim, do you have the original photos?, thanks, Ed

[Danilopez89]

Those are very nice looking Royals.

[Yunder Wækraus]

Beautiful! There is not more majestic palm (for me). I've attached photos from this Christmas of wild royal palms in Collier and Monroe Counties in Florida, and bird-planted royal palms in the backyard of my uncle's house in South Bay, Florida (where I don't believe they grew wild because it was seasonally flooded pond apple jungle until about 15 years before the house was built).

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Gorgeous Royals. I wish there was some way to get the Mexican government to do a lot more to protect what little is left of remaining jungle habitat and to restore much of what has already been destroyed. They should learn from Brazil's stupidity that is RAPIDLY turning the Amazon basin into a semi arid dessert like environment with all the radical clear cutting of the tropical forest. I also think this is one of the major factors in Florida's more frequent and more severe droughts and in Florida's more frequent severe winters- the clearing of almost all of the native tropical and subtropical forest and swamps in South and Central Florida over the last 40 years.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

The lower part of the Rio Grande Valley used to be a lush semi moist subtropical palm forest 150 to 200 years ago, but the agricultural interests cut down 98% of the original forest along the Rio Grande River, and now it is a dry semi arid to arid climate. When you cut down massive quantities of trees and forest, you greatly reduce the natural moisture layer that hangs over the forest, and thus greatly reduce the rainfall over time. I heard somewhere that this is what happened to Ethiopia in Africa. Supposedly, it was 95% forest over a 100 years ago, now it is dessert!

[Explorer]

About 50 % of the rain in the Amazone region is produced by the rainforest. So when you cut that down you will loose that 50 % allready.

It seem Sao Paulo get watershortage because of all the deforestation in Brasil.

Finely they get to pay the price for it!

Alexander

[George Sparkman]

Thanks for posting the great pictures Jim !

[akamu]

thank you for sharing the royals with us nothing lie a good habitat pic