Very small Coccothrinax sp sets very large seeds

[PalmatierMeg]

Back in 2008/09 I bought a 3g Coccothrinax from Jeff Searle. It was tagged but the tag, as well as my memory, has disappeared over the past 15 years. It has stayed very small, ~7' tall with 3" diameter stem, while other Coccothrinax spp in my Caribbean Garden have soared skyward. This spring it set enormous 1/2" round seeds, maybe ~200 or so. I'm trying to figure what species it is so I consulted my copy of The Palms of Cuba by Paul Craft. Based on my palm's distinctive weave of trunk fibers, my closest candidate is Coccothrinax clarensis. I'm not convinced as the name rings no bells in my Caribbean Garden although I tried C clarensis on my Garden Lot and found it excruciatingly slow growing and prone to die off. I don't know if I have any seedlings left.

Can anyone study the attached photos and give me an idea what species (it was sold to me as a species not a hybrid) this palm might be? Whatever it is, I'm sure it is very rare and not in cultivation in very many places. NOTE: Its 1/2" seeds may or may not be hybridized with other Coccos in the garden, depending on flowering cycles.

There are so many Cuban Coccothrinax not in cultivation. I hope they will be before they go extinct.

Coccothrinax species (clarensis??) and seeds in Cape Coral, June 2024

[Caribbean Palms]

Meg, this is A Coccothrinax clarensis in habitat..the infructescens are held above the fronds, unlike yours...also the ripe seed are smaller than the ones you have...it is very similar but I'd say yours could be a hybrid.

[happypalms]

Hi Meg  cocothrinax eckmanii try looking in that direction good luck I have some small ones with similar looking persistent leaf bases with over lapping, fibrous sheaths.

[Justin31703]

I think this is Coccothrinax montana. Key indicators are no silver on the underside of the frond, as well as large seed. Coccothrinax montana have white fleshed fruit so that would be a dead giveaway. Comes from Hispaniola so that would make sense why there isn’t a match in the Palms of Cuba book. 

[aztropic]

My vote goes towards Coccothrinax montana also. If seeds have white flesh,that is it for sure! Here is one of my montana to compare. Note the heavy, coarse fibers, surrounding the trunk. 

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[peachy]

It's got me beaten too Meg although going by the photos I think Aztropic has got it right. If it is a hybrid, at the very worst, you have a strong, healthy and very pretty palm.

Peachy