Species of palm
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Roystonea altissima is a species of palm which is endemic to hillsides and mountain slopes near the interior of Jamaica. The name "altissima" is Latin for "highest", however they are not the tallest species in the genus "Roystonea". They are usually found just over sea-level to in elevation.
Description.
"Roystonea altissima" is a large palm which reaches heights of . Stems are grey-brown and range from in diameter. The upper portion of the stem is encircled by leaf sheaths, forming a green portion known as the crownshaft which is normally long. Individuals have about 15 leaves with rachises; the leaves hang well horizontal. The inflorescences bear violet male and female flowers. Fruit are long and wide, and are black when ripe.
Taxonomy.
"Roystonea" is placed in the subfamily Arecoideae and the tribe Roystoneae. The placement "Roystonea" within the Arecoideae is uncertain; a phylogeny based on plastid DNA failed to resolve the position of the genus within the Arecoideae. As of 2008, there appear to be no molecular phylogenetic studies of "Roystonea" and the relationship between "R. altissima" and the rest of the genus is uncertain.
The species was first described by Scottish botanist Philip Miller as "Palma altissima". The species was largely overlooked for the next 180 years until American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey took a look at the royal palms as a whole. Apparently unaware of Miller's description, Bailey applied a new name, "Roystonea jamaicana", to the species. In 1963 Harold E. Moore synonymised Bailey's species with Miller's and proposed a new combination, "R. altissima".
Common names.
"Roystonea altissima" is known as the "Jamaican cabbage tree", "Jamaican royal palm" or the "mountain cabbage palm".
References.
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Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. / (Page 441-442)