Rhapidophyllum hystrix

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:ARECACEAE
Species:Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H. Wendl. & Drude
Common Name:Needle Palm
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:RHHY
Plant Notes:Needle Palm is a native perennial member of the Palm family (Arecaceae). It can be found in the southern half of Alabama. Needle Palm occurs on high floodplains and terraces along rivers and streams, on moist hardwood slopes, in ravines, and around caves. Needle Palm is a slow growing species with a short trunk. The trunk may reach a height of 6-8 feet in old individuals. Several individuals often grow from a single trunk. The trunk in covered in needle-like spines that originate between the leaves. The spines are up to 10 inches in length with a sharp tip. The spines protect the new leaves and flowers. Needle Palm is a “fan palm” with broad leaves on a long petiole that are up to six feet long. The leaves are divided into segments of various widths. Leaves are deep green above and silvery white below. The leaves are thick and evergreen, and persist for 2-3 years or longer. Needle Palm is dioecious (with separate male and female plants). The flowers are produced in a short inflorescence. A spathe (bract) encloses the developing inflorescence. The inflorescence is very short and is often hidden by fallen leaves and old fronds. The flowers are yellowish green, sometimes tinged with purple. The fruit is a brown or reddish drupe with a wooly outer covering. Needle Palm is listed as an S2/S3 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 100 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Needle Palm is a very cold hard species, and many thousands of plants were dug from Alabama and shipped north as “parlor palms”. Needle Palm is readily available in the nursery trade. It prefers moist, well-draining soils that are rich in organic matter. It will grow best in partial shade, but will adapt to
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, FACW (NWI), S2S3 (State Rank), G4 (Global Rank)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyARECACEAE - Palm family
Genus Rhapidophyllum
Species Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H. Wendl. & Drude - Needle Palm

Citation

Citation Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H. Wendland & Drude, Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 34: 803. 1876.
Basionym: Chamaerops hystrix Pursh 1813.
Type: USA: GEORGIA: Chatham Co.: Near Savannah, s.d., Fraser s.n. (holotype: ?).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Chamaerops hystrix Chamaerops hystrix Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 240. 1814, as 'Hystris'. GEORGIA: Chatham Co.: Near Savannah, s.d., Fraser s.n. (holotype: ?).
Sabal hystrix Sabal hystrix (Pursh) Nuttall, Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 230. 1818.Chamaerops hystris Pursh 1814. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Monroe, Pike, Russell, Tallapoosa

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, JSU, NY, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UWAL, UWFP

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1980 - 1987

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
AUA000034761 Autauga 7 Sep 1970 MOORE, HAROLD D.
842		 AUA
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM HYSTRIX (PURSH) H. WENDL. & DRUDE EX DRUDE
UNA00036307 Autauga 16 Apr 1980 Haynes, Robert R.
7747		 UNA
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H. Wendl. & Drude ex Drude
NY02319498 Autauga 16 Apr 1980 Robert R. Haynes
7747		 NY
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H.Wendl. & Drude
TROY000045724 Autauga 15 Sep 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
88		 TROY
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) Endlicher and Drude
UWAL0039353 Autauga 15 Sep 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
88		 UWAL
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H.Wendl. & Drude
UWFP018975 Baldwin 25 May 1997 James R. Burkhalter
15354		 UWFP
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H. Wendl. & Drude
UWAL0043580 Baldwin 18 Jan 2001 Larsen, Harry S.
717		 UWAL
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) H.Wendl. & Drude
TROY000033342 Barbour 17 Sep 2011 Morrison, Derek
97		 TROY
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) Endlicher & Drude
TROY000009921 Butler 08 Oct 2007 Diamond, Alvin R.
18527		 TROY
Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Pursh) Endlicher & Drude
AUA000034762 Choctaw 8 Sep 1970 MOORE, HAROLD D.
968		 AUA
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM HYSTRIX (PURSH) H. WENDL. & DRUDE EX DRUDE
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