''Syagrus weddelliana'', also known as the miniature coconut palm or Weddell's palm, is a feather palm in the palm family.

Description

The palm has a small stature, only growing to a height of . In rare cases, this palm can grow to , with a trunk diameter of about . After flowering, it produces small edible fruits that resemble and taste like coconuts.

Distribution and habitat

This palm is native to the State of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

in southeastern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> It grows naturally in the rainforests of the region. It is a medium altitude palm, growing in altitudes of . It thrives in the humid shade of the Brazilian rainforests.

Taxonomy

Originally, the palm was placed in the same genus as the coconut palm, under the name ''Cocos weddelliana'', before moving to the queen palm genus, '' Syagrus'', and finally moving to its own genus, '' Lytocaryum''. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, Larry Noblick and Alan Meerow subsumed ''Lytocaryum'' back into ''Syagrus'' in 2015.

Horticulture

It is closely related to the coconut palm, but is much smaller and more cold tolerant, taking down to about . This palm can be successfully grown in hardiness zones 10b–11. It has been reported that oil extracted from the nuts has been important commercially. This palm should be grown in well draining soil that is constantly moist, but not soggy, as this can lead to lethal root rot.Lorenzi, H., Noblick, L.R., Kahn, F. & Ferreira, E. (2010). Brazilian Flora Arecaceae (Palms): 1-268. Instituto Plantarum de Estudos da Flora LTDA, São Paulo, Brazil.

References

External links

Trebrown Nurseries (Liskeard, Cornwall, UK), ''Lytocaryum weddellianum''
# ttp://www.junglemusic.net/palms/lytocaryum-wedellianum.htm Jungle Music, ''Lytocaryum weddellianum'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q6710368 weddelliana Endemic flora of Brazil Plants described in 1871 Edible plants