Native Arkansas sabal minor palms

[palmchap]

I am new to the palm society so excuse me if I screw up this posting. I have recently learned that my home state has a native palm. As soon as I could, I headed to the swamp to find one. The ones I found seem to be a little different from the ones others have found in the state. My question is "how do you document a new subspecies of palm if you believe you have discovered one?" The sabal minor that I found all had a dual- palmate leaf or at least that is the way I would discribe it. A Local biologist and botantist at a college nearby seemed to think it was just caused by ice or wind and that the fact that every leaf had the same split in the same center of the palm leaves did not sway them that it was a mutation. I noticed it on the three seperate plants I found in the Saline River bottoms south of Shridan, Arkansas. I know I need to survey many more plants, but if it turns out to be something what do I do next. I think my name would look good in Latin next to sabal minor. Help me out here. Thanks!

[The Germinator]

Lets see How about Sabal palmchapensis. Take some pics We would love to see them. No map though we do not want to steal your find.

[JD in the OC]

How blue are the leaves?

[redbeard917]

All Sabal minor have a split in the middle of the leaf. It's a good feature for distinguishing them from juvenile Sabal palmetto.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/148054/

[FRITO]

heres a local S. minor showing the distinct V split on the leaves as well. Take some photos, stir up some controversy and hopefully you found somthing cool!

[palmchap]

How blue are the leaves?

I have one planted next to a Livistonia chinensis and it appears very blue against the bright green of the Chinese fan palm. The leaves are some 27inches long from the top ot the leaf stem to the tip of the pinole. It it really has an impressive fan.

[Kathryn]

How about some pictures?

[palmchap]

All Sabal minor have a split in the middle of the leaf. It's a good feature for distinguishing them from juvenile Sabal palmetto.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/148054/

These are not just a split, but a total seperation forming a dual palmate type structure. If all of the sabal minor have that feature then the speciments found in the southern part of the state must represent a different variety since they don't appear to have the complete seperation. I, however, don't have the field knowledge to see for myself. I plan to explore some other wild areas next week. I will try to upload some pictures to see if that would be helpful. I may have nothing new here, but it is possible that more than one species of sabal minor or for that matter a seperate type of palm exists in Arkansas. 99% of the population have no idea they exist at all. I am a master gardener in Garland Co. with a above average collection of palms and only learned a few weeks ago of their existance.

[PalmGuyWC]

Palmchap,

I hate to steal your thunder, but there have been articles written about the Arkansas S. minors. Unusual because they grow so far north, but it's just another form of S. minor. I think there was a thread about them on Palm Talk some time back. They also grow quite far north along the Flint river in Georgia.

Dick

[palmchap]

Palmchap,

I hate to steal your thunder, but there have been articles written about the Arkansas S. minors. Unusual because they grow so far north, but it's just another form of S. minor. I think there was a thread about them on Palm Talk some time back. They also grow quite far north along the Flint river in Georgia.

Dick

The very reason I posted was to find out if anyone had done some extentive studies. Googlings give you a couple of small posts, but nothing informative. If there is a way and I'm sure there is, I would be interested in reading the old threads as you call them.

[sonoranfans]

I am new to the palm society so excuse me if I screw up this posting. I have recently learned that my home state has a native palm. As soon as I could, I headed to the swamp to find one. The ones I found seem to be a little different from the ones others have found in the state. My question is "how do you document a new subspecies of palm if you believe you have discovered one?" The sabal minor that I found all had a dual- palmate leaf or at least that is the way I would discribe it. A Local biologist and botantist at a college nearby seemed to think it was just caused by ice or wind and that the fact that every leaf had the same split in the same center of the palm leaves did not sway them that it was a mutation. I noticed it on the three seperate plants I found in the Saline River bottoms south of Shridan, Arkansas. I know I need to survey many more plants, but if it turns out to be something what do I do next. I think my name would look good in Latin next to sabal minor. Help me out here. Thanks!

Forget about sabal minor and discovering a new species. Dypsis are where that kind of action is. Perhaps you can discover a "dypsis short brown stick" . But you would have to travel to madagascar to do that, and there are no guarantees you will find anything. Perhaps cuba would yield something really new as access is limited. Or you could just grow some palms and enjoy their beauty.

[gsn]

Forget about sabal minor and discovering a new species. Dypsis are where that kind of action is. Perhaps you can discover a "dypsis short brown stick" . But you would have to travel to madagascar to do that, and there are no guarantees you will find anything. Perhaps cuba would yield something really new as access is limited. Or you could just grow some palms and enjoy their beauty.

Sorry too late, "dypsis short brown stick" was already discovered!

However there is some controversy over whether or not it is a new species ,or a variation of take your pick species!

Edited April 11, 2009 by gsn

[palmchap]

How about some pictures?

I have several pictures but don't have a remote idea on how to upload them since that was my first post. I'll "study-up" and get back to you on that. My wife's cousin's are here from New Orleans for Easter. I wish that had brough a softshell crab po'boy with them.

[sonoranfans]

Forget about sabal minor and discovering a new species. Dypsis are where that kind of action is. Perhaps you can discover a "dypsis short brown stick" . But you would have to travel to madagascar to do that, and there are no guarantees you will find anything. Perhaps cuba would yield something really new as access is limited. Or you could just grow some palms and enjoy their beauty.

Sorry too late, "dypsis short brown stick" was already discovered!

However there is some controversy over whether or not it is a new species ,or a variation of take your pick species!

So does this mean that the guy who was 2nd in discovering "dypsis short brown stick" got the "short end of the brown stick?"