Sabal

Sabal is a genus of New World palms, many of the species being known as palmetto, a loanword from Spanish language for Chamaerops humilis (palmito). They are fan palms (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets; in some of the species, the leaflets are joined for up to half of their length. A variable portion of the leaf petiole may remain persistent on the trunk for many years after leaf fall leaving the trunk rough and spiky, but in some, the lower trunk loses these leaf bases and becomes smooth. The fruit is a drupe.

Sabal species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Paysandisia archon.

The species are native to the subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, from the Gulf coast/South Atlantic states in the southeastern USA south through the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America to Colombia and Venezuela in northern South America.

Species