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Beaucarnea recurvata Lem.

Ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassLiliopsidaMonocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
SubclassLiliidaeIncludes lilies, orchids, and many others
OrderAsparagalesA diverse group that includes asparagus
FamilyAsparagaceaeAgaves, asparagus, hyacinths, and others
GenusBeaucarneaFor 19th century Belgian collector of succulents Jean-Baptiste Beaucarne
SpeciesrecurvataCurved backwards

About plant names...

The ponytail palm is not a true palm, though it is easy to understand why it is often mistaken for one. It is native to South Africa and central and southeastern Mexico.

Plants: Reaches 20-33′ (6-10 m) in height, with a trunk 8-16″ (20-40 cm) in diameter. Its caudex, a swelling at the base of the plant, stores water, and is the reason for the name “elephant’s foot palm.”

Leaves: Evergreen, linear, strap-shaped, 1½-6′ (50-180 cm) × ½-⅞″ (1.5-2.5 cm), with finely serrated edges. The caudex can be as large as 9½′ (3 m) in diameter.

Flowers: Only older trees (more than ten years old) produce flowers, which appear on large showy panicles 2½-3½′ (75-110 cm) long. The panicles are large, but the flowers are tiny, 1/32″ (1.5 mm) in diameter. They are greenish-white, with six tepals.

Fruits: Capsules about ⅜″ (1.2 cm) long.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones I found this listed in the US Food and Drug Administration’s Poisonous Plant Database, though I was not able to find details about it.

Online References:

Dr. Giuseppe Mazza's PhotoMazza.com site

Www.revolvy.com

Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

8/31/2013 · Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia

Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

4/10/2015 · Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, Florida

Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Mary­land · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm)

 

Beaucarnea recurvata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

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Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Mary­land

Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

8/31/2013 · Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia

Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Mary­land

Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm, elephant’s foot palm, bottle palm)

4/10/2015 · Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, Florida

Range: Zones 9-11:

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