How in the heck do you all identify palms

[tarnado]

I came across a grove of some fine-lookkng Trachycarpus pas today. The sun was even shining! 

 

However, when I got closer I discovered something strange - the fruits/seeds were much different than T. fortunei fruits I've seen on other Trachys around. The Norma type is kidney-shaped ('reniform' according to Palmpedia). However, these fruits are clustered and a completely different shape. What on earth is going on he

[SeanK]

Those fruits hold non-viable seeds.

As for general identification, there are "keys" available and one gains experience over time. First with common palms in a locale and then more broadly from others.

CA growers see different palms than most FL growers, on a day-by-day basis.

[peachy]

I just wait till a few people say the same name and then I just agree with them. Never fails.

Peachy

[jwitt]

Those are trachies. The seed are sterile. There is a name for that type of seed, it escapes me.  I think it means the seed was not pollinated. Happened to my Trachy in the past. 

[SeanK]

  On 5/2/2024 at 12:13 PM, jwitt said:

Those are trachies. The seed are sterile. There is a name for that type of seed, it escapes me.  I think it means the seed was not pollinated. Happened to my Trachy in the past. 

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"pullet"?

[Fusca]

  On 5/2/2024 at 5:21 AM, tarnado said:

However, when I got closer I discovered something strange - the fruits/seeds were much different than T. fortunei fruits I've seen on other Trachys around. The Norma type is kidney-shaped ('reniform' according to Palmpedia). However, these fruits are clustered and a completely different shape. What on earth is going on he

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@SeanK and @jwitt are correct.  The reason the fruits look strange is because the female flowers were not pollinated with pollen from male flowers.  Most palms have both male and female flowers on the same plant (monoecious) but Trachycarpus palms are dioecious so male and female flowers are on separate plants.  Your palm there is a female but there wasn't a male close enough to pollinate the female (or the pollen just wasn't available for some reason).  Phoenix palms and Chamaedorea palms are other examples of dioecious palms so it's possible to see the same occur with their unpollinated fruits.