The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what's going on around you. What's the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or peahens in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like lots of photos. :)
The Kopsick Palm Arboretum is one of the smaller parks in St Petersburg, FL, and the tourists usually pass it right on by as they make their way to the beach. It contains around 500 palm trees and cycads, from 150 different species all over the world.
Here is a selection of palm trees in the park. Since the park is not a tourist spot it is sadly not very well maintained by the city, and many of the identification signs are missing, or placed in ways that make it hard to tell which tree it is referencing. So I apologize in advance if any of these are misidentified.
Medemia argun, a species of date palm native to Egypt and Sudan. Endangered in the wild.
Bottle Palm, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. Found only on Round Island, in the Mauritius Islands. It is critically endangered in the wild.
Coconut Palm, Cocos nucifera. The Coconut Palm is so widely spread in the tropics that nobody is sure now if it is originally native to the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean or the South Pacific.
Encephalartos msinganus, the Msinga Cycad. Native to the Msinga region in KwaaZulu, South Africa. It is critically endangered in the wild.
"Foxy Lady", a human-created hybrid between the Veitchia and Wodyetia genera. Bred for use in lawns and gardens.
Cuban Royal Palm, Roystonea regia. Native to Cuba and Honduras. The closely related Florida Royal Palm is a threatened species.
Walsh River King Palm, Archontophoenix maxima, native to the Queensland area of Australia.
Scrub Palmetto, Sabal etonia. Native to Florida. Closely related to the common Sabal or Cabbage Palm and the Saw Palmetto, but the Scrub Palmetto is now rare because of the loss of its Florida scrub habitat.
Cherry Palm, also known as the Buccaneer Palm, Pseudophoenix sargentii. Found in the Caribbean.
Gaussia princeps, known in its native Cuba as "palma de sierra" ("mountain palm").
King Sago Palm, Cycas revoluta. Native to Japan. The Sago Palm is actually a cycad. It has been widely introduced as an ornamental plant.
Fiji Fan Palm, Pritchardia pacifica. Native to the island of Tonga in the Fijis.
Dypsis lanceolata, the Ivovowo Palm. Native to the Comoros Islands off the coast of Africa.
Sugar Palm, Arenga pinnata. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia. It is commercially farmed for its fruits, fiber and sugary sap.
Attalea speciosa, the Oil Palm. Native to South America, it is plantation-farmed to produce palm oil.
And now it is your turn--let us know what's going on in your neck of the woods. How are your palm trees doing? :)