Mexican Palm

''Washingtonia robusta'', known by common name as the Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, or skyduster is a palm tree native to the Baja California peninsula and a small part of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. Despite its limited native distribution, ''W. robusta'' one of the most widely cultivated subtropical palms in the world. It is naturalized in Florida, California, Hawaii, Texas, parts of the Canary Islands, France, Italy, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Spain, Réunion, and Morocco.

Description

''W. robusta'' grows to tall, rarely up to . The leaves have a petiole up to long, and a palmate fan of leaflets up to long. The inflorescence is up to long, with numerous small, pale orange-pink flowers. The fruit is a spherical, blue-black drupe, diameter; it is edible, though thin-fleshed.

Taxonomy

It is one of two species in the genus '' Washingtonia''. The other is the close relative ''Washingtonia filifera,'' which occupies a more northerly distribution. Compared with ''W. robusta'', ''W. filifera'' has a thicker trunk and dull green leaves.

Nomenclature

* English: ''Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, skyduster''
* Spanish: ''abanico,'' ''palma colorado, palma real, palma blanca, palma negra''
* Seri: ''Zamij ctam''

Distribution

This palm is native to the Baja California peninsula and Sonora. On the peninsula, it occurs from the Sierra de La Asamblea and the Baja California Desert south into the Vizcaino region and the Sierra de La Giganta, and into the southern cape. In Sonora, it occurs in canyons in the western half of the state, particularly in the palm oases of the Sierra El Aguaje north of Guaymas. It is relatively restricted, and is suspected to be a relict population in Sonora. It has the least number of plants in the palm oases that are shared with two other more numerous species, ''Brahea brandegeei'' and ''Sabal uresana''.

Cultivation

Like the closely related ''Washingtonia filifera'' (California fan palm), it is grown as an ornamental tree. Although very similar, the Mexican washingtonia has a narrower trunk (which is typically somewhat wider at the base), and grows slightly faster and taller; it is also somewhat less cold hardy than the California fan palm, hardy to about .

Field research conducted on ''W. robusta'' in its native habitat on the Baja California peninsula concluded that its potential longevity may exceed 500 years.

Supporting research by Barry Tomlinson and Brett Huggett states that there is "evidence for extreme longevity of metabolically functioning cells of considerable diversity in palm stems." Many of the iconic "sky dusters" of Los Angeles that have survived the chainsaws of progress are documented in photography from the 19th century.

The Mexican fan palm is normally grown in the desert Southwestern United States, in areas such as California, Arizona, southern Nevada, extreme southwestern Utah and Texas. It also cultivated in the coastal areas of South Atlantic states and the Gulf Coast, including extreme southern North Carolina, coastal South Carolina, southern Georgia, and Florida. Along the Gulf Coast, Mexican fan palms can be found growing along the Florida west coast westward to South Texas.

''Washingtonia × filibusta'' is a hybrid of ''W. robusta'' and ''W. filifera'', and has intermediate characteristics of the two parents, especially greater tolerance of wet cold.

Gallery

Image:Flowering_Mexican_Date_Palm.jpg, Flowering palm in Chandler, Arizona
Image:Washingtoniainfructescence.JPG, Infructescence
Image:Robustaflowers.JPG, Inflorescence
Image:Asupalms.jpg, Arizona State University's Palm Walk
Image:Robustabeach.JPG, Species in Venice Beach, California
File:WashingtoniaRobustaGeorgia.png, Washingtonia Robusta growing in Saint Simons Island Georgia.
Image:Palm Trees in San Jose California.jpg, ''Washingtonia robusta'' and Canary Island date palms are commonly seen lining many streets throughout San Jose, California.
Image:Los Angeles, Koreatown, Palm Trees.jpg, Palm trees lined up at S. Occidental Blvd between Koreatown and Westlake of Los Angeles, California
Image:Hotel De Anza San Jose Palms.jpg, Species line Santa Clara Street in San Jose, California
Image:Los Angeles Washingtonia Robusta.jpg, Oldest palms in Los Angeles, planted'' circa'' 1875
Image:Enterprise Mexican Palm.jpg, A Mexican fan palm tree in Enterprise, Alabama

References

External links

Flora of North America Vol. 22 Page 106 Mexican fan palm, palmier évantail du Mexique ''Washingtonia robusta'' H. Wendland, Garten-Zeitum (Berlin). 2: 198. 1883.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1096456

Robusta
Plants described in 1883
Trees of Sonora
Trees of Baja California Sur
North American desert flora
Trees of Mediterranean climate
Ornamental trees