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Stemless Sabal ID: etonia or minor?


PalmatierMeg

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I germinated the little stemless Sabal in the photos below 11+ years ago from seeds sent to me as "Sabal etonia." My recollection is that these seeds came from a generous PTer in Europe, which complicates matters more than a bit but I was eager to find seeds of S. etonia to test my germination skills. This is the only remaining palm from that lot of seedlings. As I have never met a Sabal etonia in the flesh, I have assumed for years mine is a true etonia. But now I wonder if it might not be a Sabal minor and a "uber dwarf" minor at that. For a Sabal that may be nearly 12 years old, it has remained remarkably tiny: 24" tall by 30" wide. It flowers yearly and produces fewer than 100 fairly small seeds. Its leaves are green but show occasional blue hints and are almost flat. Sabal minor has flat leaves while Sabal etonia leaves are quite costapalmate.

Please study the photos and help me decide which stemless Sabal this guy is.

1550094433_Sabalstemlesssp0103-24-20.thumb.JPG.921c765a292465ea28615c7ab1561e44.JPG1390323691_Sabalstemlesssp0203-24-20.thumb.JPG.58ab088ec331e7736c097b6f1f8f258f.JPG771141941_Sabalstemlesssp0303-24-20.thumb.JPG.6cf71727731b782fb12c745f493e5a09.JPG652062234_Sabalstemlesssp0403-24-20.thumb.JPG.9a0269ce4c832b1982eb6a7f1a88b774.JPG477534716_Sabalstemlesssp0503-24-20.thumb.JPG.7110da4f83f124d03a9aa69575089a0b.JPG1128941167_Sabalstemlesssp0603-24-20.thumb.JPG.441d3286bea56c503bf049f75eefc912.JPG189308269_Sabalstemlesssp0703-24-20.thumb.JPG.cfec5b47e0e50d1b8e823c94257864c1.JPG1582239303_Sabalstemlesssp0803-24-20.thumb.JPG.b796375e40f2b1cb8b2c201c66a73a20.JPG1916296916_Sabalstemlesssp0903-24-20.thumb.JPG.6a6cb6b427c3ad664f7b673120031051.JPG

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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Sabal etonia seeds are large, typically 8-10 mm wide, while Sabal minor seeds are usually 4.5-6 mm wide.

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I was going to say minor as well. If I recall, etonia has something that minor does not on the petioles or leaves, though I can't remember at the moment... perhaps someone can chime in.

Oakley, California

55 Miles E-NE of San Francisco, CA

Solid zone 9, I can expect at least one night in the mid to low twenties every year.

Hot, dry summers. Cold, wet winters.

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Sabal minor it is. The impostor has been exposed.

And a "dwarfed" minor at that.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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On 3/25/2020 at 4:43 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

Sabal minor it is. The impostor has been exposed.

And a "dwarfed" minor at that.

Arent you into dwarf minors and such ? Seems you have some more investigative work to find out where it's from =) 

T J 

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12 hours ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

Arent you into dwarf minors and such ? Seems you have some more investigative work to find out where it's from =) 

Yes, dwarfed Sabal minors are one of my things. But as the original seeds came from Europe only extensive DNA testing will establish its origin.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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7 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Yes, dwarfed Sabal minors are one of my things. But as the original seeds came from Europe only extensive DNA testing will establish its origin.

Hmmm extensive DNA testing doesnt sound that intriguing haha 

T J 

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