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Leucothrinax morrisii (H. Wendl.) C. Lewis & Zona
Key thatch palm, Brittle thatch palm, Silver thatch palm

Leucothrinax morrisii
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, New Providence, Bahamas, 2012

Family: Arecaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Tree

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: South Florida and the West Indies, where scattered.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

NatureServe Global Status: Apparently Secure

State of Florida Status: Threatened

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Rare

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Rare

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: This is native to the Florida Keys in both Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. One specimen was collected in 1965 on an island off of Flamingo in Florida Bay in Everglades National Park. This record is treated as being from the Monroe County Mainland by the Altlas of Florida Vascular Plants, which we follow here. A juvenile individual was also discovered in 2011 on Cape Sable in Everglades National Park by Marc Minno, ENP botanist Jimi Sadle and others. There are no other records from the South Florida mainland or from offshore barrier islands.

Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website.

Synonyms: Thrinax morrisii, T. keyensis, T. microcarpa.

Other data on Leucothrinax morrisii available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Leucothrinax morrisii has been found in the following 24 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Bahia Honda State Park Present Native
Big Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Presumed Extirpated Not Native, Cultivated Only
Biscayne National Park Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Curry Hammock State Park Reported
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native
Key West National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Present Native
Little Hamaca Park Present Native
Little Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Long Key State Park Present Native
Middle Torch Hammocks Anderson, Lipchak, 3112 Parcels, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Middle Torch Hammocks Parcel 3063, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native
Ramrod Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Spoonbill Sound Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Torchwood Hammock Preserve Present Native
Wahoo Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native

Leucothrinax morrisii has been found in the following 3 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Keys) Native
Monroe County (Mainland) Presumed Extirpated Native

Leucothrinax morrisii has been found in the following 3 habitats :
Coastal Berm
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock

All Images:

Leucothrinax morrisii
Copyright by: George D. Gann
in habitat, New Providence, Bahamas, 2012
Leucothrinax morrisii
Copyright by: George D. Gann
Leucothrinax morrisii
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Leucothrinax morrisii
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Leucothrinax morrisii
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer