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
Copernica ceifera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Coryphoideae
Tribe: Trachycarpeae
Genus: Copernicia
Mart.
Synonyms[1]
  • Arrudaria Macedo
  • Coryphomia Rojas Acosta

Species and hybrids

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. ^ "Copernicia". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Archived from the original on 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
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