Saw palmetto

On some days, it feels like I'm swimming in palmetto. You can kind of see why above. In many places, it forms this lush blanket of evergreen throughout the forest understory.

It can be anywhere from knee-high to blazer-high.



If fire has recently been through an area, it tends to be a bit shorter (it resprouts but doesn't grow as tall).



In those areas, it also seems to share a bit more space with grasses, herbs, shrubs, etc. Either way, it's an important part of several Gulf Coastal Plain plant communities.



Immature (above) and mature (below) flowers at the base of a palmetto stem.



Apparently, the oils from its seeds are widely used in Europe as an herbal treatment for enlarged prostates. The Indians used it for many different things, including treatments for issues "down there".



It sure does live up to its name, though. I often cut myself on the 'teeth/saw' that line the base of each leaf.



I've actually been hacking away at this stuff as part of an experiment. The idea is to measure palmetto's effect on the growth and physiology of longleaf pine seedlings. To do this I first have to cut palmetto back (note the machetes) in some areas, leave it in other areas, and then compare seedling growth under the two different conditions. Never would have thought that a machete would be key in obtaining my PhD....

(Added August 28th, 2009)



Here are a couple pictures of palmetto capsules.