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{{Short description|Species of palm tree}}
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{{italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Taxobox
⚫
{{Italic title}}
| status = G4
{{Speciesbox
⚫
| status_system = TNC
| name=saw palmetto
| name = Saw palmetto
| image = Serenoa repens USDA1.jpg
| image = Serenoa repens USDA1.jpg
| image_caption =
| image_caption =
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| status = G4
⚫
| status_system = TNC
| unranked_divisio = [[Flowering plant|Angiosperms]]
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.139448/Serenoa_repens | title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 }}</ref>
| unranked_classis = [[Monocots]]
| display_parents = 3
| unranked_ordo = [[Commelinids]]
| ordo = [[Arecales]]
| genus = Serenoa
⚫
| parent_authority = [[Joseph Dalton Hooker|Hook.f.]]
| familia = [[Arecaceae]]
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| species = repens
| subfamilia = [[Coryphoideae]]
| authority = ([[John Bartram|Bartram]]) [[John Kunkel Small|J.K.Small]]<ref>{{GRIN | access-date=2010-04-12}}</ref>
| tribus = [[Trachycarpeae]]
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| range_map = Serenoa repens range map.jpg
| subtribus = [[Livistoninae]]
| genus = '''''Serenoa'''''
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| genus_authority = [[Joseph Dalton Hooker|Hook.f.]]
⚫
| species = '''''S. repens'''''
| binomial = ''Serenoa repens''
| binomial_authority = ([[John Bartram|Bartram]]) [[John Kunkel Small|J.K.Small]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?103108 |title=''Serenoa repens'' (W. Bartram) Small |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=1997-05-22 |accessdate=2010-04-12}}</ref>
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| range_map = Serenoa repens range map.jpg
| range_map_caption = Natural range
| range_map_caption = Natural range
| synonyms_ref=<ref>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/synonomy.do?name_id=190787 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref>
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/?name_id=190787|title=Plants of the World Online &#124; Kew Science|website=Plants of the World Online}}</ref>
| synonyms=
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true
* ''Corypha repens'' <small>W.Bartram</small>
|title=<small>Synonymy</small>
* ''Corypha obliqua'' <small>W.Bartram</small>
|''Corypha repens'' <small>W.Bartram</small>
* ''Chamaerops serrulata'' <small>Michx.</small>
|''Corypha obliqua'' <small>W.Bartram</small>
* ''Sabal serrulata'' <small>(Michx.) Schult.f</small>
|''Chamaerops serrulata'' <small>Michx.</small>
* ''Sabal serrulatum'' <small>(Michx.) Schult.f</small>, spelling error
|''Sabal serrulata'' <small>(Michx.) Schult.f</small>
* ''Diglossophyllum serrulatum'' (<small>Michx.) Schaedtler</small>
|''Sabal serrulatum'' <small>(Michx.) Schult.f</small>, spelling error
* ''Brahea serrulata'' <small>(Michx.) H.Wendl.</small>
|''Diglossophyllum serrulatum'' (<small>Michx.) Schaedtler</small>
* ''Serenoa serrulata'' <small>(Michx.) Hook.f. ex B.D.Jacks.</small>
|''Brahea serrulata'' <small>(Michx.) H.Wendl.</small>
* ''Serenoa repens'' f. ''glauca'' <small>Moldenke</small>
|''Serenoa serrulata'' <small>(Michx.) Hook.f. ex B.D.Jacks.</small>
|''Serenoa repens'' f. ''glauca'' <small>Moldenke</small>
}}
}}
}}
'''''Serenoa repens''''', commonly known as '''saw palmetto''', is the [[Monotype (biology)|sole]] [[species]] currently classified in the [[genus]] '''''Serenoa'''''. It is a small [[Arecaceae|palm]], growing to a maximum height of around 7–10&nbsp;ft (2–3&nbsp;m). It is [[Endemism|endemic]] to the lowlands and savanna scrubs of the subtropical [[Southeastern United States|southeastern]] [[United States]], most commonly along the south [[Atlantic Plain|Atlantic]] and [[Gulf Coastal Plain|Gulf Coastal]] plains, but also as inland to southern [[Arkansas]]. <ref>{{cite web |title=Conservation Plant Characteristics for Serenoa repens |url=http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=SERE2}}</ref>


'''''Serenoa repens''''', commonly known as '''saw palmetto''', is a small [[Arecaceae|palm]], growing to a maximum height around {{convert|200|–|300|cm|ft|abbr=on}}.
⚫
Its trunk is sprawling, and it grows in clumps or dense thickets in [[sand]]y coastal lands or as undergrowth in [[pine]] woods or [[hardwood]] [[hammock (ecology)|hammock]]s. Erect stems or trunks are rarely produced but are found in some populations. It is a hardy plant; extremely slow growing, and long lived, with some plants, especially in [[Florida]] possibly being as old as 500–700&nbsp;years.<ref name="Tanner1996">{{Cite journal| first =George W. |last=Tanner |author2=J. Jeffrey Mullahey |author3=David Maehr | title =Saw-palmetto: An Ecologically and Economically Important Native Palm | version = Circular WEC-109 | publisher = University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service |date=July 1996 | url = http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/UW/UW11000.pdf |format=[[PDF]]}}</ref>


== Taxonomy ==
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Saw palmetto is a fan palm, with the [[leaf|leaves]] that have a bare [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]] terminating in a rounded fan of about 20 [[leaflet (botany)|leaflets]]. The petiole is armed with fine, sharp teeth or spines that give the species its common name. The teeth or spines are easily capable of breaking the skin, and protection should be worn when working around a Saw Palmetto. The leaves are light green inland, and silvery-white in coastal regions. The leaves are 1–2&nbsp;m in length, the leaflets 50–100&nbsp;cm long. They are similar to the leaves of the palmettos of genus ''[[Sabal]]''. The [[flower]]s are yellowish-white, about 5&nbsp;mm across, produced in dense compound [[panicle]]s up to 60&nbsp;cm long. The [[fruit]] is a large reddish-black [[drupe]] and is an important food source for wildlife and historically for humans. The plant is used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species such as ''[[Batrachedra decoctor]]'', which feeds exclusively on the plant. This plant is also edible to human beings, but the greener it is the more bitter tasting it would be.
⚫
It is the [[monotypic taxon|sole]] species in the genus '''''Serenoa'''''. The genus name honors American [[Botany|botanist]] [[Sereno Watson]].


== Distribution and habitat ==
⚫
The generic name honors American [[Botany|botanist]] [[Sereno Watson]].
It is [[Endemism|endemic]] to the subtropical and tropical [[Southeastern United States]] as well as Mexico,<ref name="GBIF">{{GBIF|id=2735055|taxon=''Serenoa repens''}}</ref> most commonly along the south [[Atlantic Plain|Atlantic]] and [[Gulf Coastal Plain|Gulf Coastal]] plains and sand hills. It grows in clumps or dense thickets in sandy coastal areas, and as undergrowth in [[pine]] woods or [[hardwood]] [[hammock (ecology)|hammock]]s.<ref name="fna">{{Cite web |title=Serenoa in Flora of North America @ efloras.org |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=130134 |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=www.efloras.org}}</ref>


== Medical Use ==
==Description==
⚫
Erect stems or trunks are rarely produced, but are found in some populations. It is a hardy plant; extremely slow-growing, and long-lived, with some plants (especially in Florida) possibly being as old as 500–700&nbsp;years.<ref name="Tanner1996">{{Cite journal |first=George W. |last=Tanner |author2=J. Jeffrey Mullahey |author3=David Maehr |title=Saw-palmetto: An Ecologically and Economically Important Native Palm |version=Circular WEC-109 |journal=Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension |publisher=University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service |date=July 1996 |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/UW/UW11000.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704212509/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/UW/UW11000.pdf |archive-date=2008-07-04 }}</ref>
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{{main|Saw palmetto extract}}
[[File:Woods5.jpg|left|thumb|Saw palmettos beneath the larger evergreen canopy in the [[Apalachicola National Forest]] in Florida]]
The fruits of the saw palmetto are highly enriched with [[fatty acid]]s and [[phytosterol]]s, and extracts of the fruits have been the subject of intensive research for the symptomatic treatment of [[benign prostatic hyperplasia]] (BPH).


⚫
Saw palmetto is a fan palm, with the [[leaf|leaves]] that have a bare [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]] terminating in a rounded fan of about 20 [[leaflet (botany)|leaflets]]. The petiole is armed with fine, sharp teeth or spines that give the species its common name. The teeth or spines are easily capable of breaking the skin, and protection should be worn when working around a saw palmetto. The leaves are light green inland, and silvery-white in coastal regions. The leaves are 1–2&nbsp;m in length, the leaflets 50–100&nbsp;cm long. They are similar to the leaves of the palmettos of genus ''[[Sabal]]''. The [[flower]]s are yellowish-white, about 5&nbsp;mm across, produced in dense compound [[panicle]]s up to 60&nbsp;cm long.
Early meta-analyses of clinical trials ''S. repens'' extract in the treatment of BPH concluded that saw palmetto extract is safe and effective for mild-to-moderate BPH compared to [[placebo]], [[finasteride]], and [[tamsulosin]].<ref name="pmid12137626">{{cite journal |author=Wilt T, Ishani A, Mac Donald R |title=Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia |journal=Cochrane Database Syst Rev |volume= |issue=3 |pages=CD001423 |year=2002 |pmid=12137626 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001423 |url= |editor1-last=Tacklind |editor1-first=James}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Boyle|first=P|author2=Robertson C |author3=Lowe F |author4=Roehrborn C |title=Updated meta-analysis of clinical trials of Serenoa repens extract in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia|journal=BJU Int|date=Apr 2004|volume=93|issue=6|pages=751–756|pmid=15049985|doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2003.04735.x}}</ref> Two larger trials found the extract to be no different from placebo.<ref name="pmid16467543">{{cite journal |vauthors=Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K, etal |title=Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=354 |issue=6 |pages=557–566 |date=February 2006 |pmid=16467543 |doi=10.1056/NEJMoa053085 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid18423748">{{cite journal |author=Dedhia RC, McVary KT |title=Phytotherapy for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia |journal=J. Urol. |volume=179 |issue=6 |pages=2119–2125 |date=June 2008 |pmid=18423748 |doi=10.1016/j.juro.2008.01.094 |url=}}</ref> An updated meta-analysis including these trials found that saw palmetto extract "was not more effective than placebo for treatment of hyperplasia."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tacklind|first=J|author2=MacDonald R |author3=Rutks I |author4=Wilt TJ |title=Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia|journal=Cochrane Database Syst Rev|date=April 2009|issue=2|pages=CD001423.|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001423.pub2|pmid=19370565|editor1-last=Tacklind|editor1-first=James|pmc=3090655}}</ref>


<gallery widths="150" heights="150">
''S. repens'' extract has been promoted as useful for people with [[prostate cancer]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} However, according to the [[American Cancer Society]], "available scientific studies do not support claims that saw palmetto can prevent or treat prostate cancer in humans".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/saw-palmetto|title=Saw Palmetto|date=28 November 2008|publisher=[[American Cancer Society]]|accessdate=13 September 2013}}</ref>
File:SerenoraRepensHabitatPuntaGorda.jpg|Among live oak and sabal palmetto in habitat, [[Punta Gorda, Florida]]
File:Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) in Manatee Springs State Park.jpg|In [[Manatee Springs State Park]], Florida
File:WindySerenoaRepensTrunks.jpg|Winding trunks of an old clump, [[Manasota Key, Florida]]
File:Serenoa repens.jpg|Detail of flowers
File:SilverSawPalmettoClump.jpg|A very old example of the silver variant, [[Largo, Florida]]
</gallery>


== Ethnobotany ==
== Ecology ==
The [[fruit]] is a large reddish-black [[drupe]] and is an important food source for wildlife and historically for humans. The plant is used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species such as ''[[Batrachedra decoctor]]'', which feeds exclusively on the plant.


==Medical research==
⚫
Indigenous names reported by Austin<ref>{{cite book |title=Florida Ethnobotany |last=Austin |first=DF |year=2004 |publisher=CRC Press |location=Boca Raton, FL |isbn= 978-0-8493-2332-4}}</ref> include: tala (Choctaw); cani (Timucua); ta ́:la (Koasati); taalachoba ("big palm", Alabama); ta:laɬ a ́ kko ("big palm," Creek); talco ́:bˆı ("big palm," Mikasuki); talimushi ("palmetto's uncle," Choctaw), and guana (Taino, possibly). Saw palmetto fibers have been found among materials from indigenous people as far north as Wisconsin and New York, strongly suggesting this material was widely traded prior to European contact.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Whitford AC |title=Textile fibers used in eastern aboriginal North America |journal=Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History |year=1941 |volume=38 |pages=5–22}}</ref> The leaves are used for thatching by several indigenous groups; so commonly so that there is a location in Alachua County, Florida named Kanapaha ("palm house").<ref>{{cite book |title=A Provisional Gazetteer of Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation |last=Simpson |first=JC |year=1956 |publisher=Florida Geological Survey |location=Tallahassee}}</ref> The fruits may have been used to treat an unclear form of fish poisoning by the Seminoles and Bahamians.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices |last=Sturtevant |first=WC|year=1955 |publisher=University Microfilms |location=Ann Arbor, MI }}</ref>
⚫
{{See also|Saw palmetto extract}}


Saw palmetto [[extract]] has been studied as a possible treatment for people with [[prostate cancer]] and for men with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with [[benign prostatic hyperplasia]] (BPH).<ref name=fna/><ref name="drugs">{{cite web |title=Saw palmetto |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/saw-palmetto.html |publisher=Drugs.com |access-date=5 October 2020 |date=4 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="nih">{{cite web |title=Spotlight on saw palmetto: What the science says |url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/spotlight-on-saw-palmetto-science |publisher=NCCIH Clinical Digest for Health Professionals, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health |access-date=5 October 2020 |date=1 July 2019}}</ref> As of 2023, there is insufficient [[evidence-based medicine|scientific evidence]] that saw palmetto extract is effective for treating cancer or BPH and its symptoms.<ref name=drugs/><ref name=nih/><ref>{{Cite journal|display-authors=3 |last1=Franco |first1=Juan Va |last2=Trivisonno |first2=Leonel |last3=Sgarbossa |first3=Nadia J. |last4=Alvez |first4=Gustavo Ariel |last5=Fieiras |first5=Cecilia |last6=Escobar Liquitay |first6=Camila Micaela |last7=Jung |first7=Jae Hung |date=2023-06-22 |title=Serenoa repens for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargement |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2023 |issue=6 |pages=CD001423 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001423.pub4 |issn=1469-493X |pmc=10286776 |pmid=37345871}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of ineffective cancer treatments]]


One 2016 review of clinical studies with a [[International standard#Standardization|standardized extract]] of saw palmetto (called ''Permixon'') found that the extract was safe and may be effective for relieving BPH-induced urinary symptoms compared against a [[placebo]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.euf.2016.04.002 |pmid=28723522 |title=Efficacy and safety of hexanic lipidosterolic extract of ''Serenoa repens'' (Permixon) in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |journal=European Urology Focus |volume=2 |issue=5 |pages=553–561 |year=2016 |last1=Novara |first1=Giacomo |last2=Giannarini |first2=Gianluca |last3=Alcaraz |first3=Antonio |last4=Cózar-Olmo |first4=José-M. |last5=Descazeaud |first5=Aurelien |last6=Montorsi |first6=Francesco |last7=Ficarra |first7=Vincenzo|display-authors=3 |s2cid=19219564 }}</ref>
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==References==
⚫
{{Commons category|Serenoa repens}}
⚫
{{wikispecies|Serenoa repens}}
⚫
{{reflist|2}}


==Further Reading==
==Ethnobotany==
⚫
Indigenous names are reported to include: {{lang|cho|tala}} or {{lang|cho|talimushi}} ("palmetto's uncle") in [[Choctaw language|Choctaw]]; {{lang|tjm|cani}} ([[Timucua language|Timucua]]); {{lang|cku|ta ́:la}} ([[Koasati language|Koasati]]); {{lang|akz|taalachoba}} ("big palm", [[Alabama language|Alabama]]); {{lang|mus|ta:laɬ a ́ kko}} ("big palm", [[Creek language|Creek]]); {{lang|mik|talco ́:bˆı}} ("big palm", [[Mikasuki language|Mikasuki]]); and {{lang|tnq|guana}} ([[Taíno language|Taíno]], possibly).<ref>{{cite book |title=Florida Ethnobotany |last=Austin |first=DF |year=2004 |publisher=CRC Press |location=Boca Raton, Florida |isbn= 978-0-8493-2332-4}}</ref> Saw palmetto fibers have been found among materials from indigenous people as far north as [[Wisconsin]] and New York, strongly suggesting this material was widely traded prior to European contact.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Whitford AC |title=Textile fibers used in eastern aboriginal North America |journal=Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History |year=1941 |volume=38 |pages=5–22 |hdl=2246/92}}</ref> The leaves are used for thatching by several indigenous groups, so commonly that a location in [[Alachua County, Florida]], is named Kanapaha ("palm house").<ref>{{cite book |title=A Provisional Gazetteer of Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation |last=Simpson |first=JC |year=1956 |publisher=Florida Geological Survey |location=Tallahassee |oclc=1099766 |url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00000484/00001}}</ref> The fruit may have been used to treat an unclear form of fish poisoning by the [[Seminole|Seminoles]] and [[Lucayan people|Lucayans]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices |last=Sturtevant |first=WC|year=1955 |publisher=University Microfilms |location=Ann Arbor, MI }}</ref>
{{cite journal|last1=Bernichtein|first1=Sophie|last2=Pigat|first2=Natascha|last3=Camparo|first3=Philippe|last4=Latil|first4=Alain|last5=Viltard|first5=Melanie|last6=Friedlander|first6=Gerard|last7=Goffin|first7=Vincent|title=Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Lipidosterolic Extract of Serenoa Repens (Permixon (R)) in a Mouse Model of Prostate Hyperplasia|journal=The Prostate (2015)|date=14 February 2015|volume=75|issue=7|pages=706-722|doi=10.1002/pros.22953|accessdate=30 April 2015}}

⚫
==References==
⚫
{{Reflist|2}}


==External links==
==External links==
⚫
{{Commons category|Serenoa repens}}
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=130134 ''Serenoa''] in Flora of North America
⚫
{{Wikispecies|Serenoa repens}}
*[http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Sereno_repens.htm ''Serenoa repens'']
*[http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Sereno_repens.htm ''Serenoa repens'']
*[http://www.floridata.com/ref/S/sere_rep.cfm ''Serenoa repens''] from [http://www.floridata.com Floridata]
*[http://www.floridata.com/ref/S/sere_rep.cfm ''Serenoa repens''] from [http://www.floridata.com Floridata]
⚫
*[http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/serenoa-repens-saw-palmetto-native-range-map.php Interactive Distribution Map for ''Serenoa repens''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306202028/http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/serenoa-repens-saw-palmetto-native-range-map.php |date=6 March 2016 }}
*[http://www.scanpalm.no/serenoa_english.html ''Scanpalm - Serenoa repens'']
⚫
*[http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/serenoa-repens-saw-palmetto-native-range-map.php Interactive Distribution Map for ''Serenoa repens'']
*[http://www.wellnessreviews.net/hair-loss-natural-remedies/ ''Serenoa repens for hair loss'']


{{Arecaceae genera}}
{{Non-timber forest products}}
{{Non-timber forest products}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q927607}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Livistoninae]]
[[Category:Coryphoideae]]
[[Category:Monotypic palm genera]]
[[Category:Monotypic Arecaceae genera]]
[[Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine]]
[[Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine]]
[[Category:Flora of the Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Flora of the Southeastern United States]]

Latest revision as of 02:52, 20 November 2024

Saw palmetto

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Coryphoideae
Tribe: Trachycarpeae
Genus: Serenoa
Hook.f.
Species:
S. repens
Binomial name
Serenoa repens
Natural range
Synonyms[3]
Synonymy
  • Corypha repens W.Bartram
  • Corypha obliqua W.Bartram
  • Chamaerops serrulata Michx.
  • Sabal serrulata (Michx.) Schult.f
  • Sabal serrulatum (Michx.) Schult.f, spelling error
  • Diglossophyllum serrulatum (Michx.) Schaedtler
  • Brahea serrulata (Michx.) H.Wendl.
  • Serenoa serrulata (Michx.) Hook.f. ex B.D.Jacks.
  • Serenoa repens f. glauca Moldenke

Serenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto, is a small palm, growing to a maximum height around 200–300 cm (6.6–9.8 ft).

Taxonomy

[edit]

It is the sole species in the genus Serenoa. The genus name honors American botanist Sereno Watson.

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

It is endemic to the subtropical and tropical Southeastern United States as well as Mexico,[4] most commonly along the south Atlantic and Gulf Coastal plains and sand hills. It grows in clumps or dense thickets in sandy coastal areas, and as undergrowth in pine woods or hardwood hammocks.[5]

Description

[edit]

Erect stems or trunks are rarely produced, but are found in some populations. It is a hardy plant; extremely slow-growing, and long-lived, with some plants (especially in Florida) possibly being as old as 500–700 years.[6]

Saw palmetto is a fan palm, with the leaves that have a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of about 20 leaflets. The petiole is armed with fine, sharp teeth or spines that give the species its common name. The teeth or spines are easily capable of breaking the skin, and protection should be worn when working around a saw palmetto. The leaves are light green inland, and silvery-white in coastal regions. The leaves are 1–2 m in length, the leaflets 50–100 cm long. They are similar to the leaves of the palmettos of genus Sabal. The flowers are yellowish-white, about 5 mm across, produced in dense compound panicles up to 60 cm long.

Ecology

[edit]

The fruit is a large reddish-black drupe and is an important food source for wildlife and historically for humans. The plant is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species such as Batrachedra decoctor, which feeds exclusively on the plant.

Medical research

[edit]
See also: Saw palmetto extract

Saw palmetto extract has been studied as a possible treatment for people with prostate cancer and for men with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).[5][7][8] As of 2023, there is insufficient scientific evidence that saw palmetto extract is effective for treating cancer or BPH and its symptoms.[7][8][9]

One 2016 review of clinical studies with a standardized extract of saw palmetto (called Permixon) found that the extract was safe and may be effective for relieving BPH-induced urinary symptoms compared against a placebo.[10]

Ethnobotany

[edit]

Indigenous names are reported to include: tala or talimushi ("palmetto's uncle") in Choctaw; cani (Timucua); ta ́:la (Koasati); taalachoba ("big palm", Alabama); ta:laɬ a ́ kko ("big palm", Creek); talco ́:bˆı ("big palm", Mikasuki); and guana (Taíno, possibly).[11] Saw palmetto fibers have been found among materials from indigenous people as far north as Wisconsin and New York, strongly suggesting this material was widely traded prior to European contact.[12] The leaves are used for thatching by several indigenous groups, so commonly that a location in Alachua County, Florida, is named Kanapaha ("palm house").[13] The fruit may have been used to treat an unclear form of fish poisoning by the Seminoles and Lucayans.[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
  2. ^ "Serenoa repens". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online.
  4. ^ "Serenoa repens". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
  5. ^ a b "Serenoa in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  6. ^ Tanner, George W.; J. Jeffrey Mullahey; David Maehr (July 1996). "Saw-palmetto: An Ecologically and Economically Important Native Palm" (PDF). Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension. Circular WEC-109. University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Saw palmetto". Drugs.com. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Spotlight on saw palmetto: What the science says". NCCIH Clinical Digest for Health Professionals, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  9. ^ Franco, Juan Va; Trivisonno, Leonel; Sgarbossa, Nadia J.; et al. (22 June 2023). "Serenoa repens for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargement". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023 (6): CD001423. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001423.pub4. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 10286776. PMID 37345871.
  10. ^ Novara, Giacomo; Giannarini, Gianluca; Alcaraz, Antonio; et al. (2016). "Efficacy and safety of hexanic lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens (Permixon) in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials". European Urology Focus. 2 (5): 553–561. doi:10.1016/j.euf.2016.04.002. PMID 28723522. S2CID 19219564.
  11. ^ Austin, DF (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-2332-4.
  12. ^ Whitford AC (1941). "Textile fibers used in eastern aboriginal North America". Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 38: 5–22. hdl:2246/92.
  13. ^ Simpson, JC (1956). A Provisional Gazetteer of Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation. Tallahassee: Florida Geological Survey. OCLC 1099766.
  14. ^ Sturtevant, WC (1955). The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms.
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