earth science

Washingtonia filifera var. robusta

Washingtonia filifera var. robusta is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Washingtonia filifera var. robusta rather than just read about it. In short: Washingtonia filifera var. robusta, commonly known as the Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, or skyduster, is a flowering plant in the family Arecaceae native to the Sonoran desert along the Baja California peninsula. Despite its limited native distribution, W. filifera var. robusta is one of the most widely cultivated subtropical palms in the world.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Washingtonia filifera var. robusta, commonly known as the Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, or skyduster, is a flowering plant in the family Arecaceae native to the Sonoran desert along the Baja California peninsula. Despite its limited native distribution, W. filifera var. robusta is one of the most widely cultivated subtropical palms in the world. It is naturalized across the southern United States, Mediterranean, and Middle East.

Description Washingtonia filifera var. robusta grows to 25 m (82 ft) tall, rarely up to 30 m (98 ft). The leaves have a petiole up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long, and a palmate fan of leaflets up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long. The petioles are armed with sharp thorns. The inflorescence is up to 3 m (10 ft) long, with numerous small, pale orange-pink flowers. The fruit is a spherical, blue-black drupe, 6–8 mm (1⁄4–5⁄16 in) diameter; it is edible, though thin-fleshed. W. filifera var. filifera—which occupies a more northerly distribution in the states of Arizona, Baja California, and California—is often confused with W. f. var. robusta for their overall similar appearance.

Taxonomy The Plants of the World Online (POWO), curated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, currently recognizes the Mexican fan palm as a variety of Washingtonia filifera, along with two other infraspecifics. Under this classification, the Mexican fan palm corresponds specifically to Washingtonia filifera var. robusta.

Washingtonia filifera var. filifera Washingtonia filifera var. robusta (H.Wendl.) Parish Washingtonia filifera var. sonorae (S.Watson) M. E. Jones This classification has been adopted by major global taxonomic databases such as Plants of the World Online and World Flora Online, though some horticultural and regional authorities continue to recognize the palm as the distinct species, Washingtonia robusta.

Vernacular names English: Mexican fan palm, Mexican washingtonia, skyduster Spanish: abanico, palma colorado, palma real, palma blanca, palma negra Seri: Zamij ctam

Distribution This palm is native to the Baja California peninsula and Sonora. On the peninsula, it occurs from the Sierra de La Asamblea and the Baja California desert south into the Vizcaino region and the Sierra de La Giganta, and into the southern cape. In Sonora, it occurs in canyons in the western half of the state, particularly in the palm oases of the Sierra El Aguaje north of Guaymas. It is relatively restricted, and is suspected to be a relict population in Sonora. It has the fewest plants in the palm oases that are shared with two other more numerous species, Brahea brandegeei and Sabal uresana.

Cultivation Like the closely related Washingtonia filifera var. filifera (California fan palm), it is grown as an ornamental tree. Although very similar, the Mexican washingtonia has a narrower trunk (which is typically somewhat wider at the base), and grows slightly faster and taller; it is also somewhat less cold hardy than the California fan palm, hardy to about −8 °C (18 °F). Field research conducted on W. filifera var. robusta in its native habitat on the Baja California peninsula concluded that its potential longevity may exceed 500 years. Supporting research by Barry Tomlinson and Brett Huggett states that there is "evidence for extreme longevity of metabolically functioning cells of considerable diversity in palm stems." Many of the iconic "sky dusters" of Los Angeles that have survived the chainsaws of progress are documented in photography from the 19th century. The Mexican fan palm is normally grown in the desert Southwestern United States, in areas such as California, Arizona, southern Nevada, extreme southwestern Utah and Texas. It also cultivated in the coastal areas of South Atlantic states and the Gulf Coast, including southern North Carolina, coastal South Carolina, southern Georgia, and Florida. Along the Gulf Coast, Mexican fan palms can be found growing along the Florida west coast westward to South Texas. Washingtonia × filibusta is a hybrid of W. filifera var. robusta and W. filifera var. filifera, and has intermediate characteristics of the two parents, especially greater tolerance of wet cold.

Maintenance W. filifera var. robusta does not drop its older leaves but retains them firmly attached to the trunk as it grows. This is referred to as the beard or skirt of the tree. When growing in the wild, the tree's large, heavy skirt is a great asset for wasps, rats, mice, scorpions, birds, spiders, and other small animals, who can use the complex environment as a nest and habitat similar to the way small fish and invertebrates nest in a coral reef. However, in the context of a hotel, golf course or home, the proliferation of small animals can become a nuisance to human property owners. For this reason, when W. filifera var. robusta is cultivated, its skirt of heavy, dry, dead leaves is typically cut ("trimming"), and then the leaf bases are removed to give the trunk a relatively smooth, uniform appearance ("skinning") by arborists. Due to the tree's great height, and the extreme weight of the skirt, this process has been extremely dangerous and potentially lethal to arborists. As a result, the California Department of Public Health developed a series of reports and training materials to prevent accidents while trimming tall skirt-bearing palms such as W. filifera var. robusta.

Gallery

References

External links Flora of North America Vol. 22 Page 106 Mexican fan palm, palmier évantail du Mexique Washingtonia robusta H. Wendland, Garten-Zeitum (Berlin). 2: 198. 1883. Scanpalm - Washingtonia robusta Archived 2008-09-27 at the Wayback Machine

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Washingtonia filifera var. robusta

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Washingtonia filifera var. robusta claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Washingtonia filifera var. robusta before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Washingtonia filifera var. robusta ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Washingtonia filifera var. robusta

In research: Washingtonia filifera var. robusta appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Washingtonia filifera var. robusta in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Washingtonia filifera var. robusta is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics North American desert flora, Ornamental trees, Plants described in 1883, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Washingtonia filifera var. robusta outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Washingtonia filifera var. robusta in simple terms?

Why does Washingtonia filifera var. robusta matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Washingtonia filifera var. robusta?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Washingtonia filifera var. robusta.