You emerge from the swamp to a more open area of Palmetto-Pine Flatwoods. Saw Palmetto (Sereona rapens) leaves look similar to a Sabal Palm but the stem grows mostly underground or along the surface. The stem may be 15 ft. long and grows around a tenth of an inch per year. Based on this growth rate, some of the plants you see at CHEC could have been around for 500 years or more. Roots grow out of the stem near the growing tip. The underground stems are resistant to fire and new leaves soon sprout back up after a fire.
The Saw Palmetto is a Keystone Species. This means it provides important basic structure to the habitat and many of the inhabitants rely on it for food and shelter. A couple of years ago, I spotted a Bobcat (Lynx rufus) watching me from behind this clump of palmetto. The flowers and fruit provide food for insects and animals, such as the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). The green fruit shown in the photo will darken to blue-black as they ripen in late summer and fall. This ripe fruit is sought after as a nutritional suppliment for prostate health. In Florida there has been so much trouble with people stealing Saw Palmetto berries that you must have a permit to harvest them, even from your own property.
