saw palmetto

saw palmetto
1. a shrublike palmetto, Serenoa repens, of the palm family, native to the southern U.S., having green or blue leafstalks set with spiny teeth.
2. a tall palm, Acoelorraphe wrightii, of Florida and the West Indies.
[1790-1800, Amer.]

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Any of several shrubby palms chiefly of the southern U.S. and West Indies that have spiny-toothed petioles (leafstalks), especially a common palm (Serenoa repens) of the southeastern U.S., with a usually creeping stem.

Saw palmettos make up part of the vegetation found in the Florida Everglades. When undisturbed, they grow into great masses of foliage. The saw palmetto has recently drawn attention as the source of a possible treatment for prostate cancer.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Saw palmetto — Palmetto Pal*met to, n. [Dim. of palm the tree: cf. Sp. palmito.] (Bot.) A name given to palms of several genera and species growing in the West Indies and the Southern United States. In the United States, the name is applied especially to the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Saw palmetto — Saw pal*met to See under {Palmetto}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • saw palmetto — saw pal·met·to pal met (.)ō n 1) any of several shrubby palms chiefly of the southern U.S. and West Indies with spiny toothed leafstalks esp a common palm (Serenoa repens) of the southeastern U.S. with a usu. creeping stem 2) a preparation… …   Medical dictionary

  • saw palmetto — ☆ saw palmetto n. a shrubby palm plant (Serenoa repens) with fan shaped leaves and spiny leafstalks, native to the SE U.S …   English World dictionary

  • saw-palmetto — gulsčioji serenoja statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Arekinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, vaistinis augalas (Serenoa repens), paplitęs Šiaurės Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Serenoa repens angl. saw palmetto; scrub palmetto šaltinis Valstybinės… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • saw palmetto — noun Date: 1797 1. any of several shrubby palms chiefly of the southern United States and West Indies that have spiny toothed petioles; especially a common palm (Serenoa repens) of the southeastern United States with a usually creeping stem 2. a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Saw palmetto extract — is an extract of the fruit of Serenoa repens . It is rich in fatty acids and phytosterols, and has shown promise in treating benign prostatic hyperplasiacite journal | author=Wilt TJ et al | title=Saw palmetto extracts for treatment of benign… …   Wikipedia

  • saw palmetto — saw′ palmet to n. pln a shrublike palmetto, Serenoa repens, native to the southern U.S., having green or blue leafstalks set with spiny teeth …   From formal English to slang

  • saw palmetto — noun small hardy clump forming spiny palm of southern United States • Syn: ↑scrub palmetto, ↑Serenoa repens • Hypernyms: ↑fan palm • Member Holonyms: ↑Serenoa, ↑genus Serenoa …   Useful english dictionary

  • saw palmetto — A shrub that is a member of the palm tree family. An extract made from the berries of this shrub has been studied in the treatment of certain urinary and prostate disorders. The scientific name is Serenoa repens …   English dictionary of cancer terms

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