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Palms are an integral part of the urban landscape in Florida. Ganoderma butt rot of palms, a disease caused by the wood-decaying white-rot fungus Ganoderma zonatum, is one of the major biotic concerns for the landscape industry. The lethal disease is prevalent across palm-growing regions in the US, and all palm species are believed to be susceptible to this fungus. It may take six months to a year for the diseased palm to die once the initial symptoms appear. But with the availability of a disease diagnostic assay, this fungal pathogen can be detected using saw dust samples collected from declining palms, several months before symptoms appear. Collect good quality samples by following these steps and understanding the caveats associated with each step.

Wild palms constitute a group of plants of particular economic importance in the tropics, being a valuable source for obtaining construction materials, fabrics, fuel, food, ornamental and medicinal plants. Despite their economic, social, and environmental importance, the genetic variability existing in wild palms, mainly of the genus Mauritia and Euterpe, is unknown, which limits their potential use and the identification of promising genotypes to be included in recombination programs. The genetic variability of three wild palm species (Euterpe oleracea, Euterpe precatoria, and Mauritia flexuosa) was evaluated using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers. A total of 51 genotypes were analyzed with seven ISSR primers, which generated a total of 153 bands, with a percentage of polymorphic loci of 90.24%. The cluster analysis revealed the formation of six groups at a similarity level of 37%, grouping the palm genotypes by species and geographical origin. Molecular variance analysis revealed that within group variations contributed more to genetic diversity (89%) than between group variations (11%). The average value of Fstwas 0.20, demonstrating moderate genetic differentiation. The high genetic variability found in this study indicates the valuable genetic potential present in palm germplasm, which could be used for future improvement programs of the species.

A review of Foreign Testimony records of the Native Register from the mid-19th century Hawaiian land division program known as the Great Māhele (~1846-1854) has led to a better understanding of ancient Hawaiian house lot plantings. While a great deal is known about the management and use of indigenous, endemic and Polynesian-introduced plants and their distribution within wild and domesticated Hawaiian landscapes, the floristic composition of the plants cultivated close to residences is poorly documented. This is true for the period immediately after Western contact (1778) and for the decades following the arrival of American and European missionaries in the 1820s and 1830s, and indeed for the 19th century generally. The results of this review are presented here, with those plants claimed in the Native Register and those explicitly claimed near dwellings identified and described. Perhaps the most remarkable finding is the prominence of endemic Pritchardia (loulu) palms grown near mid-19th century Hawaiian residences, not only in terms of the number of claims made for loulu (63) and the actual number of individual loulu plants claimed (272), but also their distribution within the Hawaiian archipelago. Hypotheses are offered to account for these patterns. The value of using archival materials and ancient texts in ethnobiological research is underlined.

Florida is considered by some to be the lightning capital of the world. Florida has on average 3,500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per day and 1.2 million strikes per year. Given so many strikes, the probability of damage to certain palms is significant. Coconut palms, royal palms, and Washington palms are particularly vulnerable due to their great heights, but other tall palms may be equally susceptible. This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department describes and includes many helpful photos of symptoms of lightning damage as well as lightning protection systems. Written by Stephen H. Brown, Douglas Caldwell, and Ralph Mitchell. This article was updated 1/11/2021 to correct the identification of the palm in Figure 17 to "yellow latania palm." https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep598

Book review of Sophie Chao, In the shadow of the palms: More-than-human becomings in West Papua, Durham, Duke University Press, 2022, pp. 336.

During the last 10 years a floristic study was carried out on the family Arecaceae, according to the vegetable formations and the altitude in the southeast region of Cienfuegos province in the Guamuaya Mountains, with the objective of knowing the state of conservation of the palms species of present. The work embraced nine towns in those that the presence of species of this gender was determined by means of the observation method, the collections were carried out in an aleatory and intensive way, keeping in mind the micros hábitats where they progress this group of plants. They were five species, two endemic local, one endemic national and two autochthonous. According to their conservation state they are threatened species. Coccothrinax crinita subsp brevicrinis Borhidi & Muñiz, with category of In Danger (IN); Coccothrinax miraguama subsp. roseocarpa (León) Borhidi & Muñiz, Sabal maritima (Kunth) Burret and Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F. Cook, smaller Concern (LC), intending In Critical Danger (CP) to Coccothinax sp.

Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) was commercially introduced in São Paulo in the 1980s, as an alternative for heart-of-palm production, being currently the main species cultivated for this purpose. Phenological studies on fowering/fruiting, in addition to contributing to the breeding program, can provide subsidies for seed production technology. The objective of this research was to evaluate the reproductive phenology of peach palm, to relate the observed patterns with climatic elements and estimate its stages when cultivated in three locations in the State of São Paulo. The experiments were carried out in the IAC Peach Palm Collection, planted in September/1992, in Pariquera-Açu; Pindorama and Mococa. We selected 173, 282 and 150 plants for phenology evaluation and 30, 32 and 33 plants to estimate the stages, between July/June, in different years for each area, between 2013 and 2019. Data were analyzed by the activity index and by the Spearman correlation (rs) between the percentage of peach palms in each phenophase in the month and the climatic variables in the same month, from one and two months earlier. The fowering time depends on the location where the palm is cultivated, infuenced by the average temperature and evapotranspiration in Pariquera-Açu and by precipitation in Mococa. The prevailing climatic elements in fruiting in the three locations are evapotranspiration and average temperature in the month preceding the phenological event and in Mococa it is also infuenced by precipitation. The time for peach palms fowering varies from 41 to 50 days and the fruiting lasts 116 days in Pindorama.

This new 2-page factsheet was written to support urban forestry Extension clientele queries for information guiding Florida HOA and property owner decisions on whether to replace hardwood trees with palms, due to palms’ compact growth habit and lower leaf-shed volume, compared to hardwood trees. Written by Marguerite Beckford and Gary W. Knox, and published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department.

Palms growing in Florida landscape or field nurseries are subject to a number of potentially serious nutrient deficiencies. This revised 5-page document discusses the prevention and treatment of these deficiencies. Written by Timothy K. Broschat and published by the Environmental Horticulture Department, November 2016. ENH1009/EP261: Fertilization of Field-Grown and Landscape Palms in Florida (ufl.edu)

We studied the knowledge and use of palms in three indigenous communities (Angostura, Curare and Yukuna) near the corregimiento of La Pedrera, Colombian Amazonia. Between June and July of 2010 ethnobotanical data was recorded through structured interviews with 53 informants. The data was analyzed using three indices: relative importance of use category (IR (c)), relative cultural importance (IC (s)) and relative species importance (IR (s)). We found 34 useful palms species, used in nine different use categories. According to the IR (c) the most important use categories were Human Food, Construction and Utensils and tools. Notable among these were the direct consumption of fruits, preparation of beverages, the use of the entire palm and the leaves for housing, and the manufacture of weapons for hunting and utensils for daily use. According to the IR (s) and IC (s) the most important species were chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes), canangucho (Mauritia flexuosa), milpesos (Oenocarpus bataua), and asaí (Euterpe precatoria). Palms play an important role in all three communities, but there is a notable decrease in knowledge about uses associated with culture and ritual ceremonies. According to the indices or relative cultural and relative species importance, the species that were important in this study resembled those found in other Colombian Amazon communities.

Typically, palms will fare better in windstorms than broadleaf trees, but some are even better adapted than others. Proper palm selection will improve the chances of a palm thriving in a particular location. This document lists a number of species that can be grown in south Florida landscapes. Although many other species have been successfully grown in south Florida, they are relatively rare in the nursery industry and thus are not readily available. First published in May 1988.

Abstract The morphology of the larvae of Dynamis borassi (Fabricius) and Rhynchophorus palmarum (Linnaeus) was compared, described and illustrated. A complete definition of subtribe Rhynchophorina at the larval stage was elaborated, based on mature and submature larvae, and characters of the first instar larvae are provided for the first time. Diagnostic characters to distinguish the larvae of D. borassi and R. palmarum are mainly from the epipharynx and maxillae, but the abdominal terminal plate also provides differential features that can aid in the identification. The characterization of both species at the larval stage is expected to be useful in the implementation of new control strategies in palm plantations in South America. For practical reasons, a comparative table is appended in Spanish to serve as a quick diagnostic guide for species identification.

Abstract Due to the increasing national and international demand, the cultivation of açaí palm trees (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) has expanded to upland areas in Brazil. Most of these areas present low natural soil fertility, in which boron (B) is one of the most limiting nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the productivity of fresh fruits of fertigated açaí trees submitted to doses of B. The study was carried out in Tomé-Açu, northeastern Pará, Brazil. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with four treatments: control and addition of 20, 40 and 60 g of B clump-1. After 17 months, bunches of fresh fruits were collected and the production per hectare was estimated. An economic analysis was carried out considering the costs of fertilization and fruit production. The productivities obtained in the treatments were considered above the average of the municipality of Tomé-Açu. The estimated content of leaf B that provided the highest productivity was 14.9 mg kg-1, for a yield of 5479 kg ha-1 year-1¸ while the critical content corresponded to 13.2 mg kg-1. The highest productivity of fresh açaí fruits was achieved with the dose of 20 g of B clump-1, which provided a net gain of 42%.

Palms growing in Florida landscapes or field nurseries are subject to a number of potentially serious nutrient deficiencies. These deficiencies are described and illustrated in document ENH1018. Prevention and treatment of these deficiencies is the subject of this document. Chemical symbols used in this document are as follows: N=nitrogen, P=phosphorus, K=potassium, Mg=magnesium, Ca=calcium, Mn=manganese, Fe=iron, B=boron, Cu=copper, Zn=zinc. This document is ENH1009, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. ENH1009/EP261: Fertilization of Field-Grown and Landscape Palms in Florida (ufl.edu)

This document describes the most common nutrient deficiencies of palms in Florida landscapes or field nurseries. See ENH1009 for fertilization recommendations for Florida landscapes and field nurseries. This document is ENH1018, one of a series of the Department of Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. ENH1018/EP273: Nutrient Deficiencies of Landscape and Field-Grown Palms in Florida (ufl.edu)

Palms growing in containers are susceptible to the same deficiencies that landscape palms experience, but the relative importance of the various deficiencies as well as their causes are different. Container substrates are generally more acidic and have greater nutrient-holding capacity than Florida native soils. Thus leaching and insolubility of nutrients are much less of a problem. Also, container-grown palms are often fertilized with more complete controlled-release fertilizers or regular liquid fertilization, which prevents most deficiencies from occurring. This document is ENH1010, one of a series of the Department of Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. ENH1010/EP262: Nutrition and Fertilization of Palms in Containers (ufl.edu)

This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. We use data from the Floristic and Forest Inventory of Santa Catarina and WorldClim - Global Climate Data. We hypothesized that low temperature and precipitation limit palm species richness and distribution in Santa Catarina. For modeling palm species richness, we used a generalized linear model for zero inflated data and to assess reasons behind differences in palm species abundance and species richness across the state, we used a canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). We found that only the distribution of Euterpe edulis Mart. and Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman showed significant effects of climate, largely because they were the most abundant and frequent species found in sampled plots. Modelling results pinpointed minimum temperature of the coldest month as the strongest predictor of palm species richness and distribution in Santa Catarina. Our results contribute to knowledge about the occurrence of native palms of the Atlantic Forest and their environmental limitations. https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.19.29.1.0.737

ABSTRACT Invasive plants can profoundly modify physical and biological characteristics of their new environments, especially when such habitats are already fragmented and reduced by anthropogenic pressure, such as the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Here, we hypothesized that exotic palms successfully establish among the natural Euterpe edulis populations through a continuous propagule input by avifauna, high germination rates, and rapid growth. As a result, the native palm is experiencing decline and may be threatened with extinction. Beginning in 2007, we conducted a continuous forest inventory (FCI) every three years in the primary and secondary forest fragments of Viçosa, Minas Gerais. We use a Markov matrix to project future distributions of palm trees. The secondary forest contained three exotic palm species: Archontophoenix alexandrae, Livistona chinensis, and Arenga caudata. The first palm is a serious risk to natural E. edulis populations in the Atlantic because of frequent interactions with birds, rapid germination, and aggressive colonization in the lower to medium vertical forest strata. Currently, natural E. edulis populations are viable and sustainable, capable of regeneration, growth, and fruiting, their communities maintain continuous gene flow, dominating vertical forest strata compared with exotic palms. However, exotic palms should be monitored and control measures should be analyzed, especially in areas with A. alexandrae populations.

Physiological disorders are those caused by various environmental factors, rather than biological agents. Nutrient deficiencies are typically included within this category, but are discussed in other publications See: N deficiency, K deficiency, Mg deficiency, Mn deficiency, Fe deficiency, B deficiency. This document is ENH1011, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. ENH1011/EP263: Physiological Disorders of Landscape Palms (ufl.edu)