Roystonea is a modestly populated genus, so I was surprised to read about one endangered species, Roystonea stellata. It's not a synonym and I can't find any nursery info or photos on-line, but I did find a Wikipedia entry giving a brief, yet in-depth explanation:

"Roystonea stellata is an extinct species of palm which was endemic to Yagruma terrace in the Maisí region of Guantánamo Province in eastern Cuba. The species is known from only a single collection made by French-born botanist Frère León in 1939."

So where are they now? Is anyone growing a Roystonea stellata?

I think Carlo has mentioned this one before.

In what way is it or was it different from any of the other Roystoneas would be my question?

Well, there's this.

I think Carlo has mentioned this one before.

From what I understand, Carlo has previously searched for it in Cuba. Always fascinating when a species from a popular genus slips under the radar.

Well, there's this.

I have that link, Tom. That and the Wikipedia entry are about all I could find.

Scott Zona has info too.

This PACSOA description tells us nothing new:

Description:

Large attractive palm to about 20m, with a very solid trunk.

Wouldn't that describe most all Roystonea species?

Scott Zona has info too.

Ken,

I believe the earlier quote about extinction, and this below, were made by Dr. S. Zona:

"Roystonea stellata was a large palm which reached heights of 15 metres (49 ft). The 95 cm (3.1 ft) inflorescences bore white male and female flowers. Fruit were 9.8–10.5 millimetres (0.39–0.41 in) long and 7.8–8.5 mm (0.31–0.33 in) wide, and were black when ripe. The single known collection is not complete enough for a complete description."

Scott Zona has info too.

Zona (et al.) wrote a paper, The conservation status of West Indian palms , where i think it was mentioned.

Rusty

This PACSOA description tells us nothing new:

Description:

Large attractive palm to about 20m, with a very solid trunk.

Wouldn't that describe most all Roystonea species?

Agreed, it was pretty feeble to try and add a description for the sake writing something!

Scott Zona has info too.

Zona (et al.) wrote a paper, The conservation status of West Indian palms , where i think it was mentioned.

Rusty

Thanks, Rusty. Is the paper available to read on-line? (I thought for a second that was a link!)

Scott Zona has info too.

Zona (et al.) wrote a paper, The conservation status of West Indian palms , where i think it was mentioned.

Rusty

Thanks, Rusty. Is the paper available to read on-line? (I thought for a second that was a link!)

John, the underlining was mine, sorry about that! I seem to remember it was Cambridge University Press, if that helps.... and the aforementioned quote you posted may have been from that paper...... it seems to me that it was a couple of years ago at least

Rusty

Found the article, but it costs $20 to access the paper.. (couldn't find a "whistling" emoticon!)

So as Al mentioned, I wonder what made it different from other Roystonias? R. princeps for example, is said to be almost indistinguishable from R. altissima save for its habitat, which is decidedly swampy.

I found an article online by a Cuban author stating that several lesser known species including R. stellata are found in two forest regions, around Baracoa and Guantánamo, and that they are only distinguishable from R. regia by their fruit and inflorescence.

"Las otras cuatro especies cubanas (Roystonea lenis, Roystonea maisiana, Roystonea violacea y Roystonea stellata) se encuentran únicamente en los bosques de Baracoa, Guantánamo, y se distinguen de Roystonea regia en caracteres de las inflorescencias y los frutos, pero su porte general es muy parecido."

Good luck, Carlo in finding this species! (It won't be the first he's helped to proliferate, by all accounts.)

EDIT: I should mention that the above extract was written by Ángela Leiva Sánchez, who, by mention on the Palm and Cycad Societies of Florida (PACSOF) website, is one the two top palm researchers in Cuba.

This PACSOA description tells us nothing new:

Description:

Large attractive palm to about 20m, with a very solid trunk.

Wouldn't that describe most all Roystonea species?

It does mention this: "For the last four decades, its habitat has been increasingly converted to coffee plantations." However, that might just be to make me feel guilty.

Didn't someone post pictures of a black fruiting R regia look alike growing in a clump of Royals in Florida somewhere. I know R borinquena has black fruit but they're oblong like an olive pip, not round like normal R regia. Maybe someone is growing a R stellata and just don't realise it.

Best regards

Tyrone

I've always wondered about this palm, too.

"Stellata" means "starry" in Latin and refers to a small star like scar on the fruit.

I regularly get news from Cuba and, sadly, there are no news. We started the quest about 11 years ago and it is probably extinct. Hope is hard to kill, but ...

The latest, more information, but still no changes, Ed

http://www2.palmpedia.net/wiki/Roystonea_stellata

I found this......

Home

»

Roystonea Stellata

Roystonea Stellata

The Extinction of the

Roystonea stellata

Roystonea

stellata was a big palm tree which stretched heights of about 144 – 15 meters that is 49 feet. The 94 -95 cm (3.10 – 3.12 ft.) inflorescences of

Roystonea stellata

used to bear white male and female flowers. The fruit used to be 9.9–10.6 millimeters (0.38–0.42 in) extended and 7.6–8.4 mm (0.32–0.34 inches) widespread, and turned black in color when ripe. The single recognized group was not comprehensive adequately for a broad report.

Roystonea Stellata

The higher part of the Roystonea stellata stem was enclosed via leaf covers, establishing a green part on theRoystonea stellata popularly recognized as the crown shaft of the Roystonea stellata which measures about normally about 1.9 meters that was 5.9 feet extended. Individuals Roystonea stellata have about 15 to 16 leaves with 4-5 meter that was 13 feet long rachises. The 1.4 meter that was 4.3 feet inflorescences allow creamy yellow colored male as well as female flowers. The top upper part ofRoystonea stellata trees in the stem region was surrounded by covers of leaves, thus allowing the formation of a beautiful green colored portion which was better known as the crown shaft of the Roystonea stellata trees.

The crown shaft of the Roystonea stellata trees are generally 2 to 3 meters that was 6.5 – 6.7 ft. in length.Individual Roystonea stellata trees are generally known to possess 17–23or generally 21–24 leaves. The leaves of Roystonea stellata trees are generally made of a 61–102 cm that was 24–39 inches sized petiole and a 4.1–4.7 meters long that was 13–15.1 ft. long rachis in measurement. Roystonea stellata was a large and attractive palm. These palms have been implanted all over the tropics as well as the regional subtropics as a decorative tree. Though it was occasionally called R. elata, the preserved designation Roystonea stellata was currently the precise name aimed at the species. Inhabitants in Cuba as well as Florida were time-consuming seen as distinct species, but are now reflected fitting to a single species.

Kew has it listed as a valid species;

Roystonea stellata León, Mem. Soc. Cub. Hist. Nat. ''Felipe Poey'' 17: 11 (1943).

This name is accepted. Distribution: E. Cuba (Maisí reg.)

81 CUB† Lifeform: Phan. Remarks: Last coll. in 1941. Family: Arecaceae Original Compiler: R.Govaerts

I found this......

Home

»

Roystonea Stellata

Roystonea Stellata

The Extinction of the

Roystonea stellata

Roystonea

stellata was a big palm tree which stretched heights of about 144 – 15 meters that is 49 feet. The 94 -95 cm (3.10 – 3.12 ft.) inflorescences of

Roystonea stellata

used to bear white male and female flowers. The fruit used to be 9.9–10.6 millimeters (0.38–0.42 in) extended and 7.6–8.4 mm (0.32–0.34 inches) widespread, and turned black in color when ripe. The single recognized group was not comprehensive adequately for a broad report.

Roystonea Stellata

The higher part of the Roystonea stellata stem was enclosed via leaf covers, establishing a green part on theRoystonea stellata popularly recognized as the crown shaft of the Roystonea stellata which measures about normally about 1.9 meters that was 5.9 feet extended. Individuals Roystonea stellata have about 15 to 16 leaves with 4-5 meter that was 13 feet long rachises. The 1.4 meter that was 4.3 feet inflorescences allow creamy yellow colored male as well as female flowers. The top upper part ofRoystonea stellata trees in the stem region was surrounded by covers of leaves, thus allowing the formation of a beautiful green colored portion which was better known as the crown shaft of the Roystonea stellata trees.

The crown shaft of the Roystonea stellata trees are generally 2 to 3 meters that was 6.5 – 6.7 ft. in length.Individual Roystonea stellata trees are generally known to possess 17–23or generally 21–24 leaves. The leaves of Roystonea stellata trees are generally made of a 61–102 cm that was 24–39 inches sized petiole and a 4.1–4.7 meters long that was 13–15.1 ft. long rachis in measurement. Roystonea stellata was a large and attractive palm. These palms have been implanted all over the tropics as well as the regional subtropics as a decorative tree. Though it was occasionally called R. elata, the preserved designation Roystonea stellata was currently the precise name aimed at the species. Inhabitants in Cuba as well as Florida were time-consuming seen as distinct species, but are now reflected fitting to a single species.

Hi Randy, that website is listed under external links in the Pal;mpedia link I posted above, "No stone unturned", even Roystone!