Naturalized coconut (Cocos nucifera) and date (Phoenix dactylifera) palms, Dry Tortugas, Florida. Dennis V. Johnson and Jane C. MacKnight. PalmArbor 2026-01: 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21414/B1S015
A review of historical records, documents, photographs, and a 2025 field visit to Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas Archipelago, Florida, U. S. A. document that Cocos nucifera (coconut palm) and Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) have long histories on some of the islands of this archipelago. The history of introduction of the two palm species and their past, present, and projected future status are discussed and illustrated, adding to our knowledge of the naturalized range of both species.
Effect of age and mesocarp removal on germination success of Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Arecaceae). Linton L. Arneaud, Fradian Murray, and Donald R. Hodel. PalmArbor 2026-02: 1–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21414/B1N88B
The areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens H. Wendl.) is widely cultivated in tropical landscapes, yet we observed that volunteer seedlings are rarely seen beneath mature trees in Barbados, West Indies, despite apparently favorable environmental conditions. Thus, we conducted a study investigating the effect of age or freshness (zero, one, and over three months old) and presence or absence of mesocarp on germination of seeds of C. lutescens. Our findings support those in the literature that fresh seeds from fully mature, soft-ripe fruits planted immediately provided the best germination. The literature also reported that the benefits of mesocarp removal for seed germination of C. lutescens are mixed, and we found in our study that this practice did not significantly affect germination. While our results tend to suggest why old, fallen seeds below the mature palms rarely if ever germinate (old age and desiccation), it does not explain why even our best germination percentage was low, about 10 percent, when our extensive past experience shows it should be from 75 to 90 percent. Numerous factors could cause this discrepancy in germination percentage and rates between our present study and our past experiences, including unknown pathogens, seed medium moisture levels, light levels, temperature, and/or the possibility that an underlying issue unrelated to cultivation and environmental factors presented or discussed in this paper might be present. For example, a genetic aberration leading to poor embryo development and/or poor germination success, which proper seed handling, planting, and favorable germination environment would only be able to partially overcome, might be present.