KAMAL A. MALIK

Dwarf or tall, trunk smooth or ringed, erect or creeping, unarmed, covered with persistent leaf-sheaths. Leaves in a terminal crown, palmate or costapalmate, orbicular or wedge-shaped, gradually and evenly narrowed to base, coriaceous, divided into numerous segments, cut deeply fan-wise; margin filamentous; Petiole long or short, deeply divided at base, concave above, the margin smooth. Inflorescence axillary, elongated, branching to 4-5 orders; bracts many, sheathing the branches and main stalk of the inflorescence, tubular. Bracts and bracteoles small. Flowers bisexual, small, glabrous, white or green; calyx 3-lobed, unequal; corolla 3-lobed; stamens 6, filaments tapering from the wide base to sharp apex; anthers ovate; ovary 3-celled with basal ovules; style 3-lobed. Fruit small, black, globose.

A genus of c. 25 species, distributed in America. It is represented in Pakistan by the following species, which is rarely cultivated in Pakistan as an ornamental plant.

Lower Taxon

• Sabal minor (N.J. Jacq.) Persoon

Related Synonym(s):

• Corypha minor N.J. Jacquin = Sabal minor (N.J. Jacq.) Persoon
• Sabal minimum Nut. = Sabal minor (N.J. Jacq.) Persoon