Palms   Roystonea altissima

Common Names: Mountain cabbage Distribution & Habitat: Endemic to mountainous areas of Jamaica. Description: A tall, solitary palm to 15 metres (50 feet) or more tall, with a smooth grey trunk irregularly enlarged below, more slender above, and banded with leaf-scars. Leaves are pinnate 4-6 metres (12-18 feet) long, with slightly plumose leaflets, and a green crownshaft about 1.5 metres (4.55 feet) long. It is very similar in appearance to R. princeps , and very difficult to distinguish between the two. The easiest method in the field is locality, R. princeps is a bog and swamp species, while R. altissima is found in uplands and premontane elevations. Cultivation: Likes a sunny, well drained position.

Figure 1. R. altissima

Contributed by:

Kyle Wicomb (Figure 1)

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