Is this some sort of a palm?

 We saw this plant in Fort Lauderdale Riverfront Park in south Florida, zone
10.

It looks like a palm, although the entire trunk of the plant was covered.
Is the bottom part just this way because they did not clean the dead leaves
or is this the natural look?

Here are three pictures from three angles.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w67/143house/pub/P1000847.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w67/143house/pub/P1000846.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w67/143house/pub/P1000848.jpg

Is there a thick trunk under there?
 

 MiamiCuse wrote:

Probably.   It is some kind of fan palm, probably a subset of
windmill palm:

http://www.sunpalmtrees.com/


It does look like a palm in a hula skirt.  Unusual in a cultivated park.

gtlorua p

 On 1/2/11 8:43 AM, MiamiCuse wrote:

It is some kind of fan palm, possibly Sabal minor.  Sunset describes
this native to south-eastern U.S. as having a short trunk (or possibly
none at all).  "Old leaves fold at base, hang down like a closed
umbrella."  If it is a Sabal species, it can be hardy to 20F.

Old leaves have never been removed, forming a skirt that hides whatever
trunk that might be there.  The branches at the top appear to be old
flower shoots.

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>