Leucothrinax
Leucothrinax morrisii, the Key thatch palm, is a small palm which is native to the Greater Antilles (except Jamaica), northern Lesser Antilles, The Bahamas and Florida and the Florida Keys in the United States.
| Key thatch palm | |
|---|---|
| Leucothrinax morrisii in the Florida Keys. Photo by Carl E. Lewis. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Subfamily: | Coryphoideae |
| Tribe: | Cryosophileae |
| Genus: | Leucothrinax C.Lewis & Zona |
| Species: | L. morrisii |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucothrinax morrisii | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Thrinax morrisii H.Wendl. | |
Until 2008 it was known as Thrinax morrisii. It was split from the genus Thrinax after phylogenetic studies showed that its inclusion in Thrinax would render that genus paraphyletic. The generic name combines leuco (in reference to the whitish colour of its flowering stalks and the undersides of its leaves) with thrinax.