Palo de escoba
Cryosophila Nana • Palma zoyamiche • Dwarf Root Spine Palm
Palo de escoba in Motion
The Essence
"Cryosophila nana is a small fan palm endemic to Mexico, growing on the Pacific slope from Chiapas north to Mazatlan in Sinaloa. It belongs to Cryosophila, the root spine palms, a genus of about ten species ranging from central Mexico to northern Colombia whose trunks are armed with downward-pointing spines that are actually modified roots. The plant is single-stemmed and evergreen, growing up to about 5 m tall on an unbranched stem 5-10 cm in diameter that is densely covered with root spines, topped by a crown of 6 to 13 glossy green fan leaves with narrow, flexible, arching segments. The globose fruit is about 12 mm across; its pulp is eaten locally and is reported to hold abundant juice of a sweet, penetrating flavour well suited to making palm wine. The leaves are harvested from the wild to make brooms, an echo of the Spanish name Palo de escoba, "broom stick". Although fairly common in the wild, the species remains practically unknown in cultivation. Many subpopulations have become scarce or disappeared at lower elevations as coastal dry forest is cleared, but the palm tolerates disturbance and occurs in several protected areas, and it was assessed as Least Concern in 2021."
The genus name combines the Greek kryos, ice or frost, with philos, friend; Monaco Nature Encyclopedia suggests the reference is to the type species, Cryosophila nana, which in Mexico grows up to around 1,700 m. The epithet nana means dwarf, and Rare Palm Seeds offers the species under the name Dwarf Root Spine Palm.
Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth described the plant in 1816 as Corypha nana. Blume coined the name Cryosophila for it in Rumphia 2: 53 (1838), and Plants of the World Online and IPNI give the accepted name as Cryosophila nana (Kunth) Blume. Other sources, including IUCN's 1998 assessment and Wikipedia, use the authority (Kunth) Blume ex Salomon, on the grounds that Blume did not validly publish the combination and that it was validated by Salomon in 1887. Plants of the World Online lists seven synonyms, among them Corypha nana, Copernicia nana, Acanthorhiza aculeata, Chamaerops mocinoi and Trithrinax aculeata, and records the species as introduced in Trinidad and Tobago. The species is legally protected in Mexico under NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010. Its 1998 IUCN assessment of Lower Risk/near threatened was superseded in 2022 by an assessment of Least Concern, so older pages elsewhere on the web still show Near Threatened.
Natural Habitat
Grows on the Pacific slope of Mexico in dry deciduous forest, often pine-oak woodland, and is also reported from coastal scrub, savannah and ravines; Plants of the World Online places it in the seasonally dry tropical biome. Elevation figures differ between sources: the 2022 IUCN assessment gives 0-800 m, while Henderson, Galeano and Bernal (via Useful Tropical Plants) give usually 200-1,000 m and exceptionally up to 1,700 m, the 1,700 m upper limit also cited by Rare Palm Seeds and Palmpedia. Palmpedia, citing Evans (1995), notes that the species is restricted to drier environments on the Pacific slope and is the only Cryosophila found above 1,200 m, and that in relatively undisturbed areas at its upper altitudinal limits it can be common.
Curated Specimens
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Botanical specimen of Cryosophila Nana.
Sources & Conservation
Curated- Cryosophila nana (Kunth) Blume - Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (accepted name, Rumphia 2: 53 (1838), native range, introduced range, seven synonyms) · accessed 2026-08
- Cryosophila nana - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022, e.T38499A55958085, Least Concern (current assessment; assessed 15 July 2021 by Machuca Machuca, Martinez Salas, Quero & Samain) · accessed 2026-08
- Cryosophila nana - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 1998, e.T38499A10119027, Lower Risk/near threatened (superseded assessment, flagged Needs Updating) · accessed 2026-08
- Cryosophila nana - Useful Tropical Plants database (description and habitat after Henderson, Galeano & Bernal 1995, Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas; fruit size after Standley, Trees and Shrubs of Mexico; edible uses after Facciola 1998, Cornucopia II) · accessed 2026-08
- Cryosophila nana - Palmpedia, Palm Grower's Guide (habitat, description, culture, Evans 1995 note on elevation, common name palma zoyamiche)