Copernicia is a genus of palms native to South America and the Greater Antilles. Of the known species and nothospecies (hybrids), 22 of the 27 are endemic to Cuba.[1] They are fan palms (Arecaceae tribe Corypheae), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The species are small to medium-sized trees growing to 5–30 m tall, typically occurring close to streams and rivers in savanna habitats.[2] The genus is named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. In some of the species, the leaves are coated with a thin layer of wax, known as carnauba wax.
| Copernicia | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Copernica ceifera | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Coryphoideae |
| Tribe: | Trachycarpeae |
| Genus: | Copernicia Mart. |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Species and hybrids edit
Copernicia species and hybrids are as follows.[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
Copernicia alba Morong | Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso Sul |
 |
Copernicia baileyana León | Cuba |
 |
Copernicia berteroana Becc. | Hispaniola |
| Copernicia brittonorum León | Cuba | |
| Copernicia cowellii Britton & P.Wilson | Camagüey Province in Cuba | |
| Copernicia curbeloi León | Cuba | |
 |
Copernicia curtissii Becc. | Cuba |
 |
Copernicia ekmanii Burret | Haiti |
 |
Copernicia fallaensis León | Cuba |
| Copernicia gigas Ekman ex Burret | Cuba | |
 |
Copernicia glabrescens H.Wendl. ex Becc | Cuba |
 |
Copernicia hospita Mart. | Cuba |
| Copernicia humicola León | Cuba | |
| Copernicia longiglossa León | Cuba | |
 |
Copernicia macroglossa Schaedtler | Cuba |
| Copernicia molineti León | Cuba | |
 |
Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E.Moore | northeastern Brazil |
 |
Copernicia rigida Britton & P.Wilson | Cuba |
| Copernicia roigii León | Cuba | |
 |
Copernicia tectorum (Kunth) Mart. | Colombia, Venezuela |
| Copernicia yarey Burret | Cuba |
Natural hybrids edit
| Image | Scientific name | Parentage | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copernicia × burretiana León | C. hospita × C. macroglossa | Cuba | |
| Copernicia × occidentalis León | C. brittonanum × C. hospita | Cuba | |
| Copernicia × textilis León | C. baileyana × C. hospita | Cuba | |
| Copernicia × vespertilionum León | C. gigas × C. rigida | Cuba | |
| Copernicia × shaferi Dahlgren & Glassman | C. cowellii × C. hospita | Cuba | |
 |
Copernicia × sueroana León | C. hospita × C. rigida | Cuba |
References edit
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ "Copernicia". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Archived from the original on 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2014-08-11.