Royal Palm

Roystonea regia (Kunth) O. F. Cook

Roystonea regia, commonly known as the Cuban royal palm, is an ideal landscaping plant in streets, parks, and commercial properties, but becomes too large for typical residential landscapes. Its wood is used for houses and its leaves for making roofs for huts or small houses.

Oil is obtained from the seed while the leaves are used for thatching, stems are used to make furniture and the trunks are cut into planks and used in construction to make wharf piles and canoes.

The only royal palm within the University is found by the Bonifacio Circle, in front of the Medical Clinic and it was said to have been cultivated there during the second administration of Dr. Prudente in the 1980’s.

Distribution of Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F.Cook in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Map created by J. Diongco)

Natural distribution of Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F.Cook in the Philippines (Map created by J. Dela Cruz and J. Diongco)

Botanical Description of Roystonea regia (Kunth) O. F. Cook

Roystonea regia, commonly known as the Cuban royal palm has its genus name Roystonea in honor of General Roy Stone (1836-1905), an American army engineer who worked in Puerto Rico. Species epithet regia means 'royal', a reference to palm's majestic and stately appearance, hence, also called as Palma Real.

Stems are gray white in color, grows up to 30 m tall, diameter is about 35-41 cm, and smooth. Leaves are in segments inserted on rachis in several ranks at divergent angles, giving the leaf an almost plumose appearance. Inflorescences are up to 1 m, rachilla 11 to 31 cm, stiff. Flowers are white, anthers pinkish. Fruits are ripening from green through red to purplish black at maturity, dorsiventrally compressed obovoid in shape.

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