Cuban royal palm

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Cuban royal palm
• Florida royal palm
• royal palm

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Oenocarpus regius
• Roystonea ventricosa
• Roystonea jenmanii
• Palma elata
• Euterpe jenmanii
• Euterpe ventricosa
• Roystonea regia var. hondurensis
• Roystonea elata
• Roystonea floridana
• Oreodoxa regia

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Arecales and the family Arecaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is found within the genus Roystonea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several distinct regions across the globe. Within the Indian Subcontinent, it can be found specifically in the state of Assam. Its presence extends to the Southeastern United States, where it grows in Florida. In the North American region, it inhabits the Mexico Gulf and Mexico Southeast areas. Finally, its range reaches into Central America, particularly within Belize.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Roystonea regia is characterized by its distribution across a broad vertical gradient, ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1800 m AMSL. Within its native ecosystem, the species is specifically adapted to life within the canopy, where it occupies the upper layers of the forest structure. Furthermore, regarding its biological interactions and survival strategies, the plant does not exhibit any specialized chemical or physical defense mechanisms.

Defense :

no

Elevational range max:

1800 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

canopy

Life history

The life history of Roystonea regia is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, ensuring its presence in its natural ecosystem over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs at a significant height above the ground, a growth form that allows it to dominate its structural niche. Throughout its life cycle, it exhibits evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its foliage year-round rather than shedding it seasonally, which facilitates continuous metabolic activity. This phanerophyte life form is consistent across its development, supporting a robust and enduring biological existence.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Roystonea regia is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody, self-supporting tree. It is a terrestrial species that grows independently, functioning neither as a parasite nor as an epiphyte. The plant exhibits an erect shoot orientation, with a significant shoot length that can reach a maximum of 3000 cm. In terms of stature, it typically reaches a mean height of 23.41 m, with recorded heights ranging from a minimum of 10 m to a maximum of 20 m. Furthermore, the tree is characterized by a substantial diameter at breast height (DBH), reaching a maximum of 57.5 cm.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

DBH max:

57.5 cm

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

20 m

Plant height mean:

23.41 m

Plant height min:

10 m

Shoot length max:

3000 cm

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Roystonea regia is characterized by a specific set of metabolic and morphological adaptations, most notably its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway to facilitate carbon fixation and energy production. In terms of its vegetative structure, the plant exhibits significant leaf development, with a maximum leaf length reaching up to 400 cm, contributing to its expansive canopy. The foliage is structurally smooth regarding defense mechanisms, as it possesses no leaf spines. Furthermore, from a nutritional standpoint, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the availability of nitrogen within the soil rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Leaf length max:

400 cm

Leaf spines :

no

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Roystonea regia is characterized by the production of fleshy, indehiscent fruits classified as drupes. These fruits are distinctively black in color and exhibit a varied morphology, with a mean length of 1.25 cm (ranging from 0.9 cm to 1.5 cm) and a mean width of 0.95 cm (ranging from 0.7 cm to 1.1 cm). The seeds contained within these fruits are significant in size, possessing a consistent seed volume of 920 mm³. In terms of mass, the seeds show considerable variation, with a mean seed mass of approximately 0.50238 g, though individual seeds can range from a minimum of 0.3 g to a maximum of 1.216 g. The dispersal of the species follows a zoochorous syndrome, meaning the seeds are distributed via animals, which is facilitated by the fleshy nature of the fruit.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Fruit colour :

black

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

1.5 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.25 cm

Fruit length min:

0.9 cm

Fruit type :

drupe

Fruit width max:

1.1 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.95 cm

Fruit width min:

0.7 cm

Seed mass max:

1.216 g

Seed mass mean:

0.50238 g

Seed mass min:

0.3 g

Seed volume max:

920 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Roystonea regia has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antiproliferative.

Antioxidant

1. Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica

Antiproliferative

1. Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica

Conditions

Roystonea regia has 2 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include leishmaniasis, prostatic hyperplasia.

Leishmaniasis

1. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine

Prostatic hyperplasia

1. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine