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Are crownshafts an evolved protection against tropical cyclones?

DoomsDave
DoomsDave
in DISCUSSING PALM TREES WORLDWIDE

Featured Replies

I’ve noticed that many palms with crownshafts come from places that get hurricanes, typhoons or just [EXPLETIVE!!!] destructive tropical storms.

Seems to work for royals!

Whaddya think?

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    • Like 3

    I always had it in my head that it was an adaptation to super high rainfall, but I'm not sure if I read that somewhere or if I just made it up, nor do I understand entirely how it would help.

    London Z9a. Soon(ish) to be Canary Islands Z12.

    • Like 2

    My thoughts align with Alzo. I just imagined that palms in wetter more humid regions would be more likely to get rot if there were more places for the rain to pool. But this is 100% made up and has zero evidence.

    "it's not dead it's sleeping"

    Santee ca, zone10a/9b

    18 miles from the ocean

    avg. winter 68/40.avg summer 88/64.records 113/25

    • Like 2

    I think crownshaft prevalence correlates better with higher rainfall than with higher winds.

    Andrei W. Konradi, Burlingame, California.  Vicarious appreciator of palms in other people's gardens and in habitat

    • Like 2

    My guess is neither, but maybe more likely protection for the developing inflorescence from insects or pathogens.

    Northern Australia gets hammered by cyclones pretty regularly yet there are probably as many genera without crownshafts: Laccospadix, Oraniopsis, Livistona, Licuala, Arenga, etc, as with crownshafts: Archontophoenix, Ptychosperma, Normanbya, Wodyetia, Carpentaria, etc.

    South Arm, Tasmania, Australia - 42° South

    Mild oceanic climate, with coastal exposure.

     

    Summer: 12°C (53°F) average min, to 21°C (70°F) average daily max. Up to 40°C (104°F max) rarely.

     

    Winter: 6°C (43°F) average min, to 13°C (55°F) average daily max. Down to 0°C (32°F) occasionally, some light frost.

    • Upvote 1

    To my knowledge they are protection from animals so they can't climb the palm to get the fruit.

    •
    • Like 1

    Makes plenty of sense to me!

    Like the thorns and needles on other palms . A defense mechanism? Harry

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