Palms as Indicators of the Maximum Water Level
Small JK. 1936. Palms as Indicators of the Maximum Water Level. Journal of the New York Botanical Garden. 37(442):231-235
In southern flatwoods 1 and about lakes and ponds where palms grow, the cabbage-trees (Sabal Palmetto) usually show a dense encircling cushion of aerial roots about the base of the trunk. In some cases this cushion is a few inches high, while in others it may extend three feet or more up the trunk. A novice viewing these objects is at a loss to account for the unusual root growth. hut to one accustomed to the peculiarities of such country the solution is not difficult. The palm-trees do not normally grow in the water, but are often in places where water rises and remains about them during wet spells or flood periods. In times of dry weather one might well wonder about the origin of these dense cushions of aerial rotts encircling the palm trunks.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Small, John
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- flatwoods, Florida, Lake Okeechobee, palms, Water Level