from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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
{Cham[ae]rops Palmetto}, or {Sabal Palmetto}, the cabbage
tree of Florida and the Carolinas. See {Cabbage tree}, under
{Cabbage}.
[1913 Webster]
{Royal palmetto}, the West Indian {Sabal umbraculifera}, the
trunk of which, when hollowed, is used for water pipes,
etc. The leaves are used for thatching, and for making
hats, ropes, etc.
{Saw palmetto}, {Sabal serrulata}, a native of Georgia, South
Carolina, and Florida. The nearly impassable jungle which
it forms is called palmetto scrub.
[1913 Webster]