About Leucothrinax morrisii (H.Wendl.) C.Lewis & Zona
Leucothrinax morrisii is a palmate-leaved palm that grows with a single solitary brown or grey stem. Mature stems range from 1 to 11 metres (3 to 36 feet) in height, and 5 to 35 centimetres (2 to 14 inches) in diameter. Its leaves are pale blue-green or yellow-green, with a whitish color on their undersides. Petioles are 27 to 84 cm (0.9 to 2.8 ft) long and split along their length. Leaflets measure 33 to 75 cm (1.1 to 2.5 ft) in length, and 2.3 to 4.8 cm (1 to 2 in) in width. Its inflorescences grow longer than the leaves, reaching 55 to 100 cm (1.8 to 3.3 ft) in length. Its fruit are white when young, and turn yellow as they ripen.
This species is native to the Florida mainland and Florida Keys, the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola (which includes both the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Puerto Rico, Navassa Island, Saint Barthélemy, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. It grows in dry deciduous forests, scrub habitats, and coastal areas. In the Florida Keys, it grows at the edge of hardwood hammocks and in pinelands. In Puerto Rico, it grows on cliffs, and on limestone and ultramafic ridges. It can tolerate drought and frequent exposure to salt spray.
Local human populations use the stems of this palm for poles, and use its leaves for thatch and weaving.
