The common name of the palm trees which grow in the southern United States. There are several kinds, but the cabbage palmetto, extensively cultivated in the south-eastern States, is the principal on. It grows to a height of from 20 to 30 feet. Its leaves are used for thatching buildings, and for making hats, baskets, mats, etc. As the ship-worm does not attack its wood, the timber is used for wharves and other woodwork under water.