| William Bartram, the famous botanist and explorer | | | | page X. Bartram wrote "The pompous palms of |
| from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was commissioned | | | | Florida, and the glorious Magnolia, strikes us with |
| by the English aristocrats to collect, identify and | | | | the sense of dignity and magnificence." |
| record the plant and animal life growing in the | | | | William Bartram in his book, Travels, page 59, |
| English colonies. The English colonies were acquired | | | | states that he left St. Simon's Island, Georgia, and |
| from Spain, after the Spanish settlements were | | | | vividly described on his leaving, "many curious |
| conquered and abandoned to the English. John | | | | vegetable productions, particularly, Corypha |
| Bartram, the father of William Bartram, | | | | Palma", or "great Cabbage palm,. Corphya pumila, |
| accompanied his son on several early, exploratory | | | | Corypha repens......spinosis (dwarf saw palmetto,) |
| missions, and his father helped to secure a | | | | Corypha obliqua, caudice arboreo adscendente", |
| financial sponsorship of William Bartram on his | | | | the last identification being a mystery and |
| interesting but dangerous exploits into the land of | | | | unknown even today. Bartram used three terms |
| the Indians, alligators, snakes and bears. Bartram | | | | to identify the Sabal Palm; (Sabal palmetto); the |
| lived in the wild during much of the time in | | | | "great cabbage palm" 'Corypha Palma", and |
| American jungles living congenially among the | | | | "Corypha pumila". Bartram identified the "Corypha |
| Indians, and even in the homes of settlers who | | | | repens", which is a saw palmetto, Serenoa |
| found him a fascinating guest. The English settlers | | | | serrulata, and "spinosis (Dwarf Saw Palmetto)," |
| generously opened their doors of hospitality to | | | | today called, Sabal minor, which is also a synonym |
| him; wining and dining him and treating him locally | | | | for "Corypha obliqua". The Sabal palm tree is the |
| and physically with herbs and medicinal remedies, | | | | adopted, State Tree in Florida and South Carolina. |
| when on several occasions, he became deathly | | | | From the furtherest Southern point of St. |
| sick or injured. Bartram discovered many | | | | Simon's, William Bartram, reported seeing a distant |
| American native, unknown birds and exotic native | | | | house and a farm and he reported that "This |
| plants that he identified for the first time in his | | | | delightful habitation was situated in the midst of a |
| writings. William Bartram referred to "the | | | | spacious grove of live oaks and palms, near the |
| pompous palms of Florida: in his book, Travels, | | | | strand of the bay". Travels, page 58. |