Serenoa repens (fruit)

Nomenclature

Serenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small   Arecaceae  
Syn. Sabal serrulata (Michx.) Nutt. ex Schult. & Schult. f.; Serenoa serrulata (Michx.) G. Nichols.  
Standardized common name (English): saw palmetto

Organoleptic Characteristics

[Serenoa repens' fruit has] a sweetish, not agreeable taste. Source: United States Dispensatory (1918)

Macroscopic Characteristics

The saw palmetto is a fan-leaved, tufted palm with a creeping, branching stem 4 to 8 feet long. The bright green, fan-shaped leaves with 15 to 30 divisions are roundish in outline and are borne on slender stalks edged with spines. The flower spike is thickly hairy, considerably shorter than the leaves, and the flowers are small and whitish. The fruit is from one-half to 1 inch in length, 1-seeded like an olive, reddish brown or blackish brown, and smooth but somewhat wrinkled in drying. Source: American Medicinal Plants of Commercial Importance (1930) The stem of saw palmetto is from 6 to 10 feet high, has a crown of large leave's, long petioled, with a circular fan-shaped leaf blade split at the edge into from 15 to 30 divisions, which are slightly cleft at their apices. The fruit is a onesided blackish-brown drupe, from half an inch to one inch long; ovoid-oblong in shape, with a somewhat wrinkled exterior [...] It occurs in a large panicle which in, some cases may weigh as much as nine pounds. Source: United States Dispensatory (1918) Source: PlantaPhile Source: PlantaPhile

Microscopic Characteristics

The powder is yellowish-brown; when examined under the microscope it exhibits large, irregular fragments; parenchyma cells of sarcocarp containing a yellowish-brown or brownish-red, amorphous substance; whitish fragments of endosperm; the walls being considerably thickened and with large pores; stone cells occasional, nearly colorless, more or less tabular or irregular in shape, about 0.125 mm. in length, walls about 0.015 mm. in thickness, and with numerous simple or branching pores. Source: United States Dispensatory (1918) Endocarp showing numerous small pits observed at 400x with Acidified Chloral Hydrate Glycerol Solution. Source: Elan M. Sudberg, Alkemist Laboratories Endocarp showing numerous small pits observed at 400x with Acidified Chloral Hydrate Glycerol Solution. Source: Elan M. Sudberg, Alkemist Laboratories Cells of the sarcocarp filled with reddish brown pigment observed at 400x with Acidified Chloral Hydrate Glycerol Solution. Source: Elan M. Sudberg, Alkemist Laboratories

DNA Identification

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) Amplification primers: matK mini–barcode forward (5′-TCT AAA GCT AAA TTT TGT ACC GTA TCG-3′) and reverse (5′-GCC AAA GTT CTA GCA CAC GAA-3′) rbcL mini–barcode forward (5′-GCT ATC ACA TCG AAA CCG TTG-3′) and reverse (5′-GCC TTG GAA AGT TTT GGA ATA AG-3′) PCR reaction mixture: matK mini–barcode: 15 µL final volume containing 1.5 µL PCR buffer (200 mM tris [pH 8.8], 100 mM KCl, 100 mM (NH4)2SO4, 20 mM MgSO4, 1% [v/v] Triton X-100, 50% [w/v] sucrose, 0.25% [w/v] cresol red), 0.2 µM dNTPs, 0.025 μg/μL bovine serum albumin (BSA), 1 μM of each primer, 0.25 units of Taq polymerase, and 0.5 µL template DNA. rbcL mini–barcode: 15 µL final volume containing 1.5 µL PCR buffer (200 mM tris [pH 8.8], 100 mM KCl, 100 mM (NH4)2SO4, 20 mM MgSO4, 1% [v/v] Triton X-100, 50% [w/v] sucrose, 0.25% [w/v] cresol red), 0.2 µM dNTPs, 0.025 μg/μL bovine serum albumin (BSA), 48 mM betaine, 1 μM of each primer, 0.25 units of Taq polymerase, and 0.5 µL template DNA. PCR program: 95°C for 2.5 min; 35 cycles: 95°C for 30 s, 60°C for 30 s; 60°C for 10 min. Sequencing primers: Same as amplification primers. Sequence: matK mini–barcode: 5′-GGG CAT CCT ATT AGT AAG CCG ATC TGG ACC GAT TTA TCA GAT TGC GAT ATT ATT GAT CGA TTT GGT CGG ATA TGT AGA AAT CTT TCT CAT TAT CAC AGT GGA TCC TCA AAA AAA CAG AGT TTG TAT CGA ATA AAG TAT ATA CTT CGG TT-3′ rbcL mini–barcode: 5′-TCG GGG AGG AAA ATC AAT ATA TTG CTT ATG TAG CTT ATC CTT TAG ACC TTT TTG AAG AAG GTT CTG TTA CTA ACA TGT TTA CTT CCA TTG TGG GTA ATG TAT TTG GTT TCA AAG CCC TAC GAG CTC TAC GTC TGG AGG ATC TGC GAA TTC CCA CTT-3′ Diagnostic positions: matK mini–barcode 66667777777778888 78893455668890111 85958437565682678 Brahea YGGCCTCCCAACCTCGA Rhapidinae Chamaerops C..Y..YY....Y.... Rhapidinae Guihaia C................ Rhapidinae Maxburretia C................ Rhapidinae Rhapidophyllum C................ Rhapidinae Rhapis C................ Rhapidinae Trachycarpus C................ Livistoninae Johannesteijsmannia C....W...RR...... Livistoninae Lanonia CR............... Livistoninae Licuala CR..Y...Y.....M.. Livistoninae Livistona C................ Livistoninae Pholidocarpus C..........Y.A..R Livistoninae Pritchardiopsis C..............T. Livistoninae Saribus CRK............K. Acoelorrhaphe wrightii C...............G Serenoa repens C...............G rbcL mini–barcode 222233 558909 130218 Brahea GGTCAA Rhapidinae Chamaerops ...... Rhapidinae Guihaia ...... Rhapidinae Maxburretia ...... Rhapidinae Rhapidophyllum ...... Rhapidinae Rhapis ..C... Rhapidinae Trachycarpus ...... Livistoninae Johannesteijsmannia .....C Livistoninae Lanonia ?????? Livistoninae Licuala RR...M Livistoninae Livistona .....M Livistoninae Pholidocarpus ....GC Livistoninae Pritchardiopsis .....C Livistoninae Saribus .....C Acoelorrhaphe wrightii ...T.C Serenoa repens ......