The Arecaceae is a
family of
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
flowering plants in the
monocot
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae '' sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one ...
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
Arecales
Arecales is an order of flowering plants. The order has been widely recognised only for the past few decades; until then, the accepted name for the order including these plants was Principes.
Taxonomy
The APG IV system of 2016 places Dasypogon ...
. Their growth form can be
climbers,
shrubs,
tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees. Currently, 181
genera with around 2,600
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
are known,
most of which are restricted to
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
and
subtropical climates. Most palms are distinguished by their large, compound,
evergreen leaves, known as
fronds, arranged at the top of an unbranched stem. However, palms exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics and inhabit nearly every type of
habitat within their range, from
rainforests to
deserts.
Palms are among the best known and most extensively
cultivated plant families. They have been important to humans throughout much of history. Many common products and foods are derived from palms. In contemporary times, palms are also widely used in landscaping. In many historical cultures, because of their importance as food, palms were
symbols for such ideas as victory, peace, and fertility.
Etymology
The word ''Arecaceae'' is derived from the word ''
areca
''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name u ...
'' with the suffix "-aceae". ''Areca'' is derived from
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, via
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
അടയ്ക്ക (''aṭaykka''), which is from
Dravidian ''*aṭ-ay-kkāy'' (“areca nut”). The suffix ''-aceae'' is the feminine plural of the Latin ''-āceus'' ("resembling").
Morphology
Whether as shrubs, tree-like, or vines, palms have two methods of growth: solitary or clustered. The common representation is that of a solitary shoot ending in a crown of leaves. This
monopodial
Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek "mono-", ''one'' and "podial", "foot", in ref ...
character may be exhibited by prostrate, trunkless, and trunk-forming members. Some common palms restricted to solitary growth include ''
Washingtonia
''Washingtonia'' is a genus of palms, native to the southwestern United States (in southern California, and southwest Arizona) and northwest Mexico (in Baja California and Sonora). Both ''Washingtonia'' species are commonly cultivated across t ...
'' and ''
Roystonea''. Palms may instead grow in sparse though dense clusters. The trunk develops an axillary bud at a leaf node, usually near the base, from which a new shoot emerges. The new shoot, in turn, produces an axillary bud and a clustering habit results. Exclusively
sympodial genera include many of the
rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests o ...
s, ''
Guihaia
''Guihaia'' is a genus of three species of dioecious palms found in China and Vietnam.J.Dransf., S.K.Lee & F.N.Wei. 1985. Principes 29: 7-12 Perhaps its most distinctive characteristic is that it is the only palm with palmate
The following is ...
'', and ''
Rhapis
''Rhapis'' is a genus of about 10 species of small palms native to southeastern Asia from southern Japan and southern China south to Sumatra. The species are commonly known as lady palms.
They are fan palms (subfamily Coryphoideae), with the ...
''. Several palm genera have both solitary and clustering members. Palms which are usually solitary may grow in clusters and vice versa. These aberrations suggest the habit operates on a single gene.
Palms have large, evergreen leaves that are either palmately ('fan-leaved') or pinnately ('feather-leaved') compound and spirally arranged at the top of the stem. The leaves have a tubular sheath at the base that usually splits open on one side at maturity. The
inflorescence is a
spadix or
spike
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
surrounded by one or more
bracts or
spathe
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or ...
s that become woody at maturity. The
flowers are generally small and white, radially symmetric, and can be either uni- or bisexual. The sepals and petals usually number three each, and may be distinct or joined at the base. The stamens generally number six, with filaments that may be separate, attached to each other, or attached to the pistil at the base. The
fruit is usually a single-
seeded
drupe (sometimes berry-like) but some genera (e.g., ''
Salacca
''Salacca'' is a genus of about 20 species of palms native to Southeast Asia and the eastern Himalayas. They are dioecious (with the exception of Salak Bali) and pollinated by Curculionidae beetles.
They are very short-stemmed palms, with l ...
'') may contain two or more seeds in each fruit.
Like all
monocot
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae '' sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one ...
s, palms do not have the ability to increase the width of a stem (
secondary growth) via the same kind of
vascular cambium
The vascular cambium is the main growth tissue in the stems and roots of many plants, specifically in dicots such as buttercups and oak trees, gymnosperms such as pine trees, as well as in certain other vascular plants. It produces secondary xyl ...
found in non-monocot
woody plant
A woody plant is a plant that produces wood as its structural tissue and thus has a hard stem. In cold climates, woody plants further survive winter or dry season above ground, as opposite to herbaceous plants that die back to the ground until ...
s. This explains the cylindrical shape of the trunk (almost constant diameter) that is often seen in palms, unlike in
ring
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
-forming trees. However, many palms, like some other monocots, do have secondary growth, although because it does not arise from a single vascular cambium producing
xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem. The basic function of xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word ''xylem'' is derived from ...
inwards and phloem outwards, it is often called "anomalous secondary growth".
The Arecaceae are notable among monocots for their height and for the size of their seeds, leaves, and inflorescences. ''
Ceroxylon quindiuense
''Ceroxylon quindiuense'', often called Quindío wax palm, is a palm native to the humid montane forests of the Andes in Colombia and northern Peru.
Description
This palm species can grow to a height of —or rarely, even as high as . It i ...
'', Colombia's national tree, is the tallest monocot in the world, reaching up to tall. The ''
coco de mer
Coco commonly refers to:
* Coco (folklore), a mythical bogeyman in many Hispano- and Lusophone nations
Coco may also refer to:
People
* Coco (given name), a first name, its shorthand, or unrelated nickname
* Coco (surname), a list of people ...
'' (''Lodoicea maldivica'') has the largest seeds of any plant, in diameter and weighing each (
coconuts
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or t ...
are the second largest). Raffia palms (''
Raphia'' spp.) have the largest leaves of any plant, up to long and wide. The ''
Corypha'' species have the largest inflorescence of any plant, up to tall and containing millions of small flowers. ''
Calamus'' stems can reach in length.
Range and habitat
Most palms are native to tropical and subtropical climates. Palms thrive in moist and hot climates but can be found in a variety of different habitats. Their diversity is highest in wet, lowland forests.
South America, the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean S ...
, and areas of the south Pacific and southern Asia are regions of concentration. Colombia may have the highest number of palm species in one country. There are some palms that are also native to desert areas such as the Arabian peninsula and parts of northwestern Mexico. Only about 130 palm species naturally grow entirely beyond the tropics, mostly in humid lowland subtropical climates, in highlands in southern Asia, and along the rim lands of the
Mediterranean Sea. The northernmost native palm is ''
Chamaerops humilis
''Chamaerops'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. The only currently fully accepted species is ''Chamaerops humilis'', variously called European fan palm or the Mediterranean dwarf palm. It is one of the most cold-hardy ...
'', which reaches
44°N latitude along the coast of
Liguria,
Italy. In the southern hemisphere, the southernmost palm is the ''
Rhopalostylis sapida
''Rhopalostylis sapida'', commonly known as nīkau ( mi, nīkau), is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand.
Etymology
is a Māori word; in the closely related Eastern Polynesian languages of th ...
'', which reaches
44°S on the
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about t ...
where an
oceanic climate prevails.
Cultivation of palms is possible north of subtropical climates, and some higher latitude locales such as
Ireland,
Scotland,
England, and the
Pacific Northwest feature a few palms in protected locations and
microclimates. In the
United States, there are at least 12 native palm species, mostly occurring in the deep southeastern states and
Florida.
Palms inhabit a variety of ecosystems. More than two-thirds of palm species live in humid moist forests, where some species grow tall enough to form part of the
canopy
Canopy may refer to:
Plants
* Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests)
* Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes
Religion and ceremonies
* Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...
and shorter ones form part of the
understory.
Some species form pure stands in areas with poor drainage or regular flooding, including ''
Raphia hookeri'' which is common in coastal freshwater swamps in West Africa. Other palms live in tropical mountain habitats above , such as those in the genus ''
Ceroxylon
''Ceroxylon'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae, native to the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, known as Andean wax palms.Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Bo ...
'' native to the
Andes. Palms may also live in grasslands and scrublands, usually associated with a water source, and in desert
oases
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
such as the
date palm. A few palms are adapted to extremely
basic
BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College i ...
lime soils, while others are similarly adapted to extreme
potassium deficiency and toxicity of heavy metals in
serpentine soils.
Palms are a
monophyletic group of plants, meaning the group consists of a common ancestor and all its descendants.
Extensive taxonomic research on palms began with botanist
H.E. Moore, who organized palms into 15 major groups based mostly on general morphological characteristics. The following classification, proposed by N.W. Uhl and J. Dransfield in 1987, is a revision of Moore's classification that organizes palms into six subfamilies. A few general traits of each subfamily are listed below.
* The are the most diverse subfamily, and are a
paraphyletic group, meaning all members of the group share a common ancestor, but the group does not include all the ancestor's descendants. Most palms in this subfamily have palmately lobed leaves and solitary flowers with three, or sometimes four
carpel
Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils' ...
s. The fruit normally develops from only one carpel.
* Subfamily includes the climbing palms, such as rattans. The leaves are usually pinnate; derived characters (
synapomorphies) include spines on various organs, organs specialized for climbing, an extension of the main stem of the leaf-bearing reflexed spines, and overlapping scales covering the fruit and ovary.
* Subfamily contains only one species, ''
Nypa fruticans
''Nypa fruticans'', commonly known as the nipa palm (or simply nipa, from ms, nipah) or mangrove palm, is a species of palm native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm considered adap ...
'', which has large, pinnate leaves. The fruit is unusual in that it floats, and the stem is dichotomously branched, also unusual in palms.
* Subfamily has small to medium-sized flowers, spirally arranged, with a
gynoecium of three joined carpels.
* The are the largest subfamily, with six diverse tribes (
Areceae
Areceae is a palm tree tribe in the family Arecaceae.
Subtribes:
*Archontophoenicinae
* Arecinae
* Basseliniinae
* Carpoxylinae
* Clinospermatinae
* Dypsidinae
* Linospadicinae
* Oncospermatinae
*Ptychospermatinae
Ptychospermatinae is a palm ...
,
Caryoteae
Caryoteae is a tribe in the palm family Arecaceae, distributed across Southeast Asia, from southern India and Sri Lanka east to Vanuatu and northernmost Queensland, Australia. It was long considered a member of subfamily Arecoideae on the basis o ...
,
Cocoseae
Cocoseae is a tribe of cocosoid palms of the family Arecaceae.
Description
The fruit of the Cocoseae is a modified drupe, with a sclerenchymatous epicarp and a highly developed mesocarp, formed mainly by parenchyma . The endocarp is generally sc ...
,
Geonomateae,
Iriarteeae
Iriarteeae is a palm tribe in the subfamily Arecoideae.
Genera
Iriarteeae includes the following genera:
*'' Dictyocaryum''
*'' Iriartea''
*'' Iriartella''
*'' Socratea''
*'' Wettinia''
See also
* List of Arecaceae genera
This is a list of ...
, and
Podococceae) containing over 100 genera. All tribes have pinnate or bipinnate leaves and flowers arranged in groups of three, with a central pistillate and two staminate flowers.
* The are a
monoecious subfamily. Members of this group have distinct monopodial flower clusters. Other distinct features include a gynoecium with five to 10 joined carpels, and flowers with more than three parts per whorl. Fruits are multiple-seeded and have multiple parts.
Currently, few extensive phylogenetic studies of the Arecaceae exist. In 1997, Baker'' et al.'' explored subfamily and tribe relationships using chloroplast
DNA from 60 genera from all subfamilies and tribes. The results strongly showed the Calamoideae are monophyletic, and Ceroxyloideae and Coryphoideae are paraphyletic. The relationships of Arecoideae are uncertain, but they are possibly related to the Ceroxyloideae and Phytelephantoideae. Studies have suggested the lack of a fully resolved hypothesis for the relationships within the family is due to a variety of factors, including difficulties in selecting appropriate outgroups,
homoplasy in morphological character states, slow rates of molecular evolution important for the use of standard
DNA marker A genetic marker is a gene or DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome that can be used to identify individuals or species. It can be described as a variation (which may arise due to mutation or alteration in the genomic loci) that can be ...
s, and character polarization. However, hybridization has been observed among ''Orbignya'' and ''Phoenix'' species, and using chloroplast DNA in cladistic studies may produce inaccurate results due to maternal inheritance of the chloroplast DNA. Chemical and molecular data from non-organelle DNA, for example, could be more effective for studying palm phylogeny.
Selected genera
*''
Archontophoenix
''Archontophoenix'' is a plant genus comprising six palm species that are native to New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia. They are tall, slender and unbranched. Relationships between ''Archontophoenix'' and the other genera of subt ...
''—
Bangalow palm
*''
Areca
''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name u ...
''—
Betel palm
*''
Astrocaryum''
*''
Attalea''
*''
Bactris
''Bactris'' is a genus of spiny palms which are native to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean. Most species are small trees about tall, but some are large trees while others are shrubs with subterranean stems. They have simple o ...
''—
Pupunha
*''
Beccariophoenix
''Beccariophoenix'' is a genus of three species of Arecaceae (palms), native to Madagascar. The genus is closely related to the '' Cocos'', or coconut genus, and notably ''Beccariophoenix alfredii'' is similar in appearance to the coconut palm. I ...
''—
Beccariophoenix alfredii
''Beccariophoenix alfredii'', also known as the high plateau coconut palm, is a recently discovered species of Arecaceae (palms), endemic to Madagascar. It is in the genus '' Beccariophoenix'', and is closely related to the genus '' Cocos''. ''Be ...
*''
Bismarckia''—Bismarck palm
*''
Borassus
''Borassus'' (palmyra palm) is a genus of five species of fan palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Papua New Guinea.
Description
These massive palms can grow up to high and have robust trunks with distinct leaf scars; in so ...
''—Palmyra palm,
sugar palm,
toddy palm
Toddy palm is a common name for several species of palms used to produce palm wine, palm sugar and jaggery. Species so used and named include:
*''Arenga pinnata'', the areng palm
*'' Borassus flabellifer'', the palmyra palm
*'' Caryota'', the fish ...
*''
Butia
''Butia'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, native to the South American countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Many species produce edible fruits, which are sometimes used to make alcoholic beverages and other foods. ...
''
*''
Calamus''—
Rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests o ...
palm
*''
Ceroxylon
''Ceroxylon'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae, native to the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, known as Andean wax palms.Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Bo ...
''
*''
Cocos''—Coconut
*''
Coccothrinax
''Coccothrinax'' is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae. There are more than 50 species described in the genus, plus many synonyms and subspecies. A new species ('' Coccothrinax spirituana'') was described as recently as 2017. Many ''Coccoth ...
''
*''
Copernicia
''Copernicia'' is a genus of Arecaceae, palms native to South America and the Greater Antilles. Of the known species and nothospecies (Hybrid (biology), hybrids), 22 of the 27 are endemic to Cuba. They are List of Arecaceae genera#Tribe Corypheae ...
''—
Carnauba wax
Carnauba (; pt, carnaúba ), also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the carnauba palm '' Copernicia prunifera'' (synonym: ''Copernicia cerifera''), a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of ...
palm
*''
Corypha''—Gebang palm, Buri palm or Talipot palm
*''
Elaeis''—Oil palm
*''
Euterpe''—Cabbage heart palm, açaí palm
*''
Hyphaene
''Hyphaene'' is a genus of palms native to Africa, Madagascar, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The genus ...
''—
Doum palm
''Hyphaene thebaica'', with common names doum palm (Ar: دوم) and gingerbread tree (also mistakenly doom palm), is a type of palm tree with edible oval fruit. It is a native to the Arabian Peninsula and also to the northern half and western pa ...
*''
Jubaea
''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...
''—Chilean wine palm, Coquito palm
*''
Latania
''Latania'', commonly known as latan palm or latania palm, is a genus of flowering plant in the palm tree family, native to the Mascarene Islands in the western Indian Ocean. Species
The genus contains three species, one from each of the three ...
''—Latan palm
*''
Licuala
''Licuala'' is a genus of palms, in the tribe Trachycarpeae, commonly found in tropical forests of southern China, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, New Guinea and the western Pacific Ocean islands.
Description and uses
''Licuala'' spp. are fan ...
''
*''
Livistona''—Cabbage palm
*''
Mauritia
''Mauritia'' is a genus of fan palms which is native to northern South America and to the Island of Trinidad in the Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Am ...
''—
Moriche palm
*''
Metroxylon''—
Sago palm
Sago palm is a common name for several plants which are used to produce a starchy food known as sago. Sago palms may be "true palms" in the family Arecaceae, or cycads with a palm-like appearance. Sago produced from cycads must be detoxified before ...
*''
Nypa''—
Nipa palm
*''
Parajubaea
''Parajubaea'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all comm ...
''—Bolivian coconut palms
*''
Phoenix''—
Date palm
*''
Pritchardia
The genus ''Pritchardia'' (family Arecaceae) consists of between 24 and 40 species of fan palms (subfamily Coryphoideae) found on tropical Pacific Ocean islands in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotus, and most diversely in Hawaii. The generic name ho ...
''
*''
Raphia''—Raffia palm
*''
Rhapidophyllum
''Rhapidophyllum hystrix'', the needle palm, is a palm, the sole member of the genus ''Rhapidophyllum''. It is native to coastal margins of the subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Endemic populations can be f ...
''
*''
Rhapis
''Rhapis'' is a genus of about 10 species of small palms native to southeastern Asia from southern Japan and southern China south to Sumatra. The species are commonly known as lady palms.
They are fan palms (subfamily Coryphoideae), with the ...
''
*''
Roystonea''—Royal palm
*''
Sabal
''Sabal'' is a genus of palms (or fan-palms) endemic to the New World. Currently, there are 17 recognized species of ''Sabal'', including one hybrid species. The species are native to the subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, from th ...
''—Palmettos
*''
Salacca
''Salacca'' is a genus of about 20 species of palms native to Southeast Asia and the eastern Himalayas. They are dioecious (with the exception of Salak Bali) and pollinated by Curculionidae beetles.
They are very short-stemmed palms, with l ...
''—
Salak
Salak (''Salacca zalacca'') is a species of palm tree (family Arecaceae) native to Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. It is cultivated in other regions of Indonesia as a food crop, and reportedly naturalized in Bali, Lombok, Timor, Maluku, and Su ...
*''
Syagrus''—
Queen palm
''Syagrus romanzoffiana'', the queen palm or cocos palm, is a palm native to South America, introduced throughout the world as a popular ornamental garden tree. ''S. romanzoffiana'' is a medium-sized palm, quickly reaching maturity at a height ...
*''
Thrinax
''Thrinax'' is a genus in the palm family, native to the Caribbean. It is closely related to the genera '' Coccothrinax'', '' Hemithrinax'' and '' Zombia''. Flowers are small, bisexual and are borne on small stalks.
Taxonomy
In the first edit ...
''
*''
Trachycarpus
''Trachycarpus'' is a genus of eleven species of palms native to Asia, from the Himalaya east to eastern China. They are fan palms (subfamily Coryphoideae), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. T ...
''—
Windmill palm
''Trachycarpus fortunei'', the Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm or Chusan palm, is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India.
Description
Growing to tall, ''Trachyca ...
,
Kumaon palm
*''
Trithrinax
''Trithrinax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Coryphoideae of the family Arecaceae. The name is derived from ancient Greek, where ''tri'' means three, and ''thrinax'' trident. It was named in 1837 by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Ma ...
''
*''
Veitchia
''Veitchia'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae.
It contains the following species, all native to islands in the Pacific Ocean (Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consist ...
''—
Manila palm,
Joannis palm
*''
Washingtonia
''Washingtonia'' is a genus of palms, native to the southwestern United States (in southern California, and southwest Arizona) and northwest Mexico (in Baja California and Sonora). Both ''Washingtonia'' species are commonly cultivated across t ...
''—Fan palm
Evolution
The Arecaceae are the first modern family of monocots appearing in the fossil record around 80 million years ago (Mya), during the late
Cretaceous period. The first modern species, such as ''
Nypa fruticans
''Nypa fruticans'', commonly known as the nipa palm (or simply nipa, from ms, nipah) or mangrove palm, is a species of palm native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm considered adap ...
'' and ''
Acrocomia aculeata
''Acrocomia aculeata'' is a species of palm native to the Neotropics, from southern Mexico and the Caribbean south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Common names include grugru palm, gloo gloo, macaúba palm, coyol palm, and macaw palm; synonym ...
'', appeared 69 Mya, as evidenced by fossil ''Nypa'' pollen. Palms appear to have undergone an early period of
adaptive radiation
In evolutionary biology, adaptive radiation is a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, alters biotic in ...
. By 60 Mya, many of the modern, specialized genera of palms appeared and became widespread and common, much more widespread than their range today. Because palms separated from the monocots earlier than other families, they developed more intrafamilial specialization and diversity. By tracing back these diverse characteristics of palms to the basic structures of monocots, palms may be valuable in studying monocot evolution. Several species of palms have been identified from flowers preserved in amber, including ''
Palaeoraphe dominicana'' and ''
Roystonea palaea''.
Evidence can also be found in samples of
petrified palmwood
''Palmoxylon'' (petrified palmwood) is an extinct genus of palm named from petrified wood found around the world.
Fossil record
This genus is known in the fossil record from the Late Cretaceous to the Miocene (from about 84.9 to 11.6 million y ...
.
Uses
Human use of palms is at least as old as human civilization itself, starting with the cultivation of the date palm by
Mesopotamians and other Middle Eastern peoples 5000 years or more ago.
Date wood, pits for storing dates, and other remains of the date palm have been found in Mesopotamian sites.
The date palm had a tremendous effect on the history of the Middle East. W.H. Barreveld wrote:
An indication of the importance of palms in ancient times is that they are mentioned more than 30 times in the
Bible, and at least 22 times in the
Quran.
Arecaceae have great economic importance, including coconut products, oils, dates,
palm syrup, ivory nuts, carnauba wax, rattan cane, raffia, and
palm wood. This family supplies a large amount of the human diet and several other human uses, both by absolute amount produced and by number of
species domesticated.
[
] This is far higher than almost any other plant family, sixth out of domesticated crops in the human diet, and first in total economic value produced sharing the top spot with the
Poaceae and
Fabaceae.
These human uses have also spread many Arecaceae species around the world.
Along with dates mentioned above, members of the palm family with human uses are numerous.
*The type member of Arecaceae is the
areca
''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name u ...
palm, the fruit of which, the
areca nut
''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name u ...
, is chewed with the
betel
The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel p ...
leaf for intoxicating effects (''Areca catechu'').
*
Carnauba
Carnauba (; pt, carnaúba ), also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the carnauba palm ''Copernicia prunifera'' (synonym: ''Copernicia cerifera''), a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of ...
wax is harvested from the leaves of a Brazilian palm (''Copernicia'').
*
Rattan
Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth tropical forests o ...
s, whose stems are used extensively in
furniture and
basket
A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...
s, are in the genus ''Calamus''.
*
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil produced by the
oil palm
''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm ''Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its cou ...
s in the genus ''
Elaeis''.
*Several species are harvested for
heart of palm
Heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees, most notably the coconut (''Cocos nucifera''), juçara (''Euterpe edulis''), açaí palm (''Euterpe oleracea''), palmetto (''Sabal'' spp.), and ...
, a vegetable eaten in salads.
*Sap of the nipa palm, ''
Nypa fruticans
''Nypa fruticans'', commonly known as the nipa palm (or simply nipa, from ms, nipah) or mangrove palm, is a species of palm native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm considered adap ...
'', is used to make vinegar.
*Palm
sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...
is sometimes
fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...
to produce
palm wine or toddy, an
alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The con ...
common in parts of Africa, India, and the
Philippines. The sap may be drunk fresh, but fermentation is rapid, reaching up to 4% alcohol content within an hour, and turning vinegary in a day.
*Palmyra and date palm sap is harvested in Bengal, India, to process into ''gur'' and ''
jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...
''.
*
Dragon's blood
Dragon's blood is a bright red resin which is obtained from different species of a number of distinct plant genera: '' Calamus'' spp. (previously ''Daemonorops'') also including '' Calamus rotang'', '' Croton'', '' Dracaena'' and ''Pterocarpus'' ...
, a red resin used traditionally in
medicine,
varnish, and
dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...
s, may be obtained from the fruit of ''
Daemonorops
''Daemonorops'' was a genus of rattan palms in the family Arecaceae. Its species are now included within the genus '' Calamus''.
Species found primarily in the tropics and subtropics of southeastern Asia with a few species extending into southe ...
'' species.
*
Coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
is the partially edible seed of the fruit of the coconut palm (''Cocos nucifera'').
*
Coir
Coir (), also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell a ...
is a coarse, water-resistant fiber extracted from the outer shell of coconuts, used in doormats, brushes, mattresses, and ropes. In India, beekeepers use coir in their bee smokers.
*Some indigenous groups living in palm-rich areas use palms to make many of their necessary items and food.
Sago, for example, a
starch made from the pith of the trunk of the sago palm ''
Metroxylon sagu
''Metroxylon sagu'', the true sago palm, is a species of palm in the genus '' Metroxylon'', native to tropical southeastern Asia.
The tree is a major source of sago starch.
Description
True sago palm is a suckering (multiple-stemmed) palm, ...
'', is a major
staple food
A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard Diet (nutrition), diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of ...
for lowland peoples of
New Guinea and the
Moluccas
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ea ...
. This is not the same plant commonly used as a house plant and called "sago palm".
*Palm wine is made from ''
Jubaea
''Jubaea'' is a genus of palms with one species, ''Jubaea chilensis'' or ''Jubaea spectabilis'', commonly known in English as the Chilean wine palm or Chile cocopalm, and palma chilena in Spanish. It is native to southwestern South America and i ...
'' also called Chilean wine palm, or coquito palm
*Recently, the fruit of the açaí palm ''
Euterpe'' has been used for its reputed health benefits.
*Saw palmetto (''
Serenoa repens
''Serenoa repens'', commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus ''Serenoa''. It is a small palm, growing to a maximum height around . It is endemic to the subtropical and tropical Southeastern United S ...
'') is under investigation as a drug for treating enlarged prostates.
*Palm leaves are also valuable to some peoples as a material for thatching, basketry, clothing, and in religious ceremonies (see "Symbolism" below).
*Ornamental uses: Today, palms are valuable as
ornamental plants and are often grown along streets in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
and
subtropical cities. ''
Chamaedorea elegans
''Chamaedorea elegans'', the neanthe bella palm or parlour palm, is a species of small palm tree native to the rainforests in Southern Mexico and Guatemala. The parlor palm is one of the most heavily sold houseplant palms in the world. It is on ...
'' is a popular
houseplant and is grown indoors for its low maintenance. Farther north, palms are a common feature in
botanical gardens
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
or as indoor plants. Few palms tolerate severe cold and the majority of the species are tropical or subtropical. The three most
cold-tolerant species are ''
Trachycarpus fortunei
''Trachycarpus fortunei'', the Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm or Chusan palm, is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India.
Description
Growing to tall, ''Trachyca ...
'', native to eastern Asia, and ''
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
''Rhapidophyllum hystrix'', the needle palm, is a palm, the sole member of the genus ''Rhapidophyllum''. It is native to coastal margins of the subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Endemic populations can be f ...
'' and ''
Sabal minor'', both native to the southeastern United States.
*The southeastern U.S. state of
South Carolina is nicknamed the Palmetto State after the
sabal palmetto (cabbage palmetto), logs from which were used to build the fort at
Fort Moultrie. During the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, they were invaluable to those defending the fort, because their spongy wood absorbed or deflected the British cannonballs.
*Singaporean politician
Tan Cheng Bock
Adrian Tan Cheng Bock ( zh, s=陈清木, p=Chén Qīngmù; born 26 April 1940) is a Singaporean politician and medical practitioner. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer Rajah Single Member Constituency, Ayer Rajah SMC between 1980 and ...
uses a palm tree-like symbol similar to a ''
Ravenala
''Ravenala'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, ''Ravenala madagascariensis'', commonly known as the traveller's tree, traveller's palm or East-West palm, from Mada ...
'' to represent him in the
2011 Singaporean presidential election
The 2011 Singaporean presidential election was held to elect the next President of Singapore. Four eligible candidates were issued certificates of eligibility by the Presidential Elections Committee, and were nominated on Nomination Day with T ...
. The symbol of a party he founded,
Progress Singapore Party
The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a centre-left political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and opposition ...
, was also based on a palm tree.
*On
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Ro ...
, Catholics receive a cross on their forehead made of palm ashes as a reminder of the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
belief that everyone and everything eventually returns to where it came from, commonly expressed by the saying "ashes to ashes and dust to dust".
Image:Dates on date palm.jpg, Fruit of the date palm '' Phoenix dactylifera''
Image:Santa Monica Palm Trees.jpg, '' Washingtonia robusta'' palms line Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, California.
Image:Rodeo Palms -- Manvel, Texas.jpg, Rodeo Palms, a subdivision in Manvel, Texas
File:Palm tree CANA.JPG, Sabal palm in the Canaveral National Seashore
The Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) is a National Seashore located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville, Florida, in Volusia and Brevard Counties. The park, located on a barrier island, was created on January 3, 1975, by an act of Congr ...
File:Coconut Palm flowers.jpg, Coconut flowers
File:Palm tree top, Georgia, US.jpg, Close-up of the top, Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, U.S.
Endangered species
Like many other plants, palms have been threatened by
human intervention and
exploitation
Exploitation may refer to:
*Exploitation of natural resources
*Exploitation of labour
**Forced labour
*Exploitation colonialism
*Slavery
**Sexual slavery and other forms
*Oppression
*Psychological manipulation
In arts and entertainment
* Exploit ...
. The greatest risk to palms is
destruction of habitat, especially in the
tropical forest
Tropical forests (a.k.a. jungle) are forested landscapes in tropical regions: ''i.e.'' land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds.
Some tropical for ...
s, due to
urbanization,
wood-chipping,
mining, and
conversion to farmland. Palms rarely reproduce after such great changes in the habitat, and those with small habitat ranges are most vulnerable to them. The harvesting of heart of palm, a delicacy in salads, also poses a threat because it is derived from the palm's
apical meristem
The meristem is a type of tissue found in plants. It consists of undifferentiated cells (meristematic cells) capable of cell division. Cells in the meristem can develop into all the other tissues and organs that occur in plants. These cells conti ...
, a vital part of the palm that cannot be regrown (except in domesticated varieties, e.g. of
peach palm
''Bactris gasipaes'' is a species of palm native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. It is well spread in these regions, where it is often cultivated by smallholders in agroforestry systems or more rarely, in monoculture. Comm ...
).
The use of
rattan palms in furniture has caused a major population decrease in these species that has negatively affected local and international markets, as well as biodiversity in the area. The sale of seeds to nurseries and collectors is another threat, as the seeds of popular palms are sometimes harvested directly from the wild. In 2006, at least 100 palm species were considered endangered, and nine species have been reported as recently extinct.
However, several factors make palm conservation more difficult. Palms live in almost every type of warm habitat and have tremendous morphological diversity. Most palm seeds lose viability quickly, and they cannot be preserved in low temperatures because the cold kills the embryo. Using botanical gardens for conservation also presents problems, since they can rarely house more than a few plants of any species or truly imitate the natural setting.
There is also the risk that cross-pollination can lead to hybrid species.
The Palm Specialist Group of the
World Conservation Union (IUCN) began in 1984, and has performed a series of three studies to find basic information on the status of palms in the wild, use of wild palms, and palms under cultivation. Two projects on palm conservation and use supported by the
World Wildlife Fund took place from 1985 to 1990 and 1986–1991, in the American tropics and southeast Asia, respectively. Both studies produced copious new data and publications on palms. Preparation of a global action plan for palm conservation began in 1991, supported by the IUCN, and was published in 1996.
The rarest palm known is ''
Hyophorbe amaricaulis''. The only living individual remains at the Botanic Gardens of Curepipe in
Mauritius.
Arthropod pests
Some pests are specialists to particular
taxa
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
. Pests that attack a ''variety'' of species of palms include:
* ''
Raoiella indica'', the red palm mite
* ''
Caryobruchus gleditsiae'', the palm seed beetle or palm seed weevil
* ''
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus'', the red palm weevil, recently introduced to Europe
Symbolism
The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in
classical antiquity. The
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
rewarded champions of the games and celebrated military successes with palm branches. Early
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...
festival celebrating the triumphal entry of
Jesus Christ into
Jerusalem. In
Judaism, the palm represents peace and plenty, and is one of the
Four Species of
Sukkot; the palm may also symbolize the
Tree of Life in
Kabbalah.
The canopies of the Rathayatra carts which carry the deities of Krishna and his family members in the cart festival of Jagganath Puri in India are marked with the emblem of a palm tree. Specifically it is the symbol of Krishna's brother, Baladeva.
In 1840, the American geologist
Edward Hitchcock
Edward Hitchcock (May 24, 1793 – February 27, 1864) was an American geologist and the third President of Amherst College (1845–1854).
Life
Born to poor parents, he attended newly founded Deerfield Academy, where he was later principal, ...
(1793–1864) published the first tree-like paleontology chart in his ''Elementary Geology'', with two separate
trees of life for the plants and the animals. These are crowned (graphically) with the Palms and with Man.
Today, the palm, especially the coconut palm, remains a symbol of the tropical island
paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
.
Palms appear on the flags and seals of several places where they are native, including those of
Haiti,
Guam,
Saudi Arabia,
Florida, and
South Carolina.
Other plants
Some species commonly called palms, though they are not true palms, include:
*''
Ailanthus altissima
''Ailanthus altissima'' , commonly known as tree of heaven, ailanthus, varnish tree, or in Chinese as ''chouchun'' (), is a deciduous tree in the family Simaroubaceae. It is native to northeast and central China, and Taiwan. Unlike other membe ...
'' (Ghetto palm), a tree in the flowering plant family
Simaroubaceae
The Simaroubaceae are a small, mostly tropical, family in the order Sapindales. In recent decades, it has been subject to much taxonomic debate, with several small families being split off. A molecular phylogeny of the family was published in 200 ...
*''
Alocasia odora x gageana'' 'Calidora' (Persian palm), a flowering plant in the family
Araceae
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also ...
*''
Aloe thraskii'' (Palm aloe), a flowering plant in the family
Asphodelaceae
Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 4 ...
*''
Amorphophallus konjac'' (Snake palm), a flowering plant in the family Araceae
*''
Beaucarnea recurvata
''Beaucarnea recurvata'', the elephant's foot or ponytail palm, is a species of plant in the family Asparagaceae. The species was native to numerous states of eastern Mexico but is now confined to the state of Veracruz. Despite its common name, i ...
'' (Ponytail palm), a flowering plant in the family
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, ''Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate c ...
*''
Begonia luxurians'' (Palm leaf begonia), a flowering plant in the family
Begoniaceae
Begoniaceae is a family of flowering plants with two genera and about 2040 species occurring in the subtropics and tropics of both the New World and Old World. All but one of the species are in the genus '' Begonia''. There have been many recent ...
*''
Biophytum umbraculum'' (South Pacific palm), a flowering plant in the family
Oxalidaceae
*''
Blechnum appendiculatum'' (Palm fern), a fern in the family
Aspleniaceae
The Aspleniaceae (spleenworts) are a family of ferns, included in the order Polypodiales. The composition and classification of the family have been subject to considerable changes. In particular, there is a narrow circumscription, Aspleniaceae ...
*''
Brighamia insignis
''Brighamia insignis'', commonly known as ''ʻŌlulu'' or ''Alula'' in Hawaiian, or colloquially as the vulcan palm or cabbage on a stick, is a endangered species of Hawaiian lobelioid in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. It is native to t ...
'' (Vulcan palm), a flowering plant in the family
Campanulaceae
The family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky sap. Among them are several familiar garden plants belon ...
*''
Carludovica palmata
''Carludovica palmata'' (Panama hat plant or toquilla palm) is a palm-like monocot plant. It is not a true palm. Its leaves are different from the leaves of true palms, and unlike true palms it does not develop a woody trunk. Its female flowers ...
'' (Panama hat palm)
and perhaps other members in the family
Cyclanthaceae
Cyclanthaceae is a family of flowering plants.
Taxonomy
Earlier systems, such as the Cronquist system and the Takhtajan system, placed it as the sole family in the order Cyclanthales. In the classification system of Dahlgren the Cyclanthaceae w ...
.
*''
Cordyline australis
''Cordyline australis'', commonly known as the cabbage tree, tī kōuka or cabbage-palm, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand.
It grows up to tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of ...
''
(Cabbage palm, Torbay palm, ti palm) or palm lily
(family Asparagaceae) and other representatives in the genus ''
Cordyline
''Cordyline'' is a genus of about 15 species of woody monocotyledonous flowering plants in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae. The subfamily has previously been treated as a separate family Laxmanniaceae, or Lomandraceae. Other authors ...
''.
*''
Cyathea cunninghamii
''Alsophila cunninghamii'', synonym ''Cyathea cunninghamii'', also known as the gully tree fern and slender tree fern, is a species of tree fern indigenous to New Zealand including North Island (type locality), South Island and Chatham Islands; a ...
'' (Palm fern)
and other
tree ferns
The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tree ...
(families
Cyatheaceae
The Cyatheaceae are a family of ferns, the scaly tree ferns, one of eight families in the order Cyatheales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the family may defined much more broadly (Cyatheaceae '' ...
and
Dicksoniaceae) that may be confused with palms.
*''
Cycas revoluta
''Cycas revoluta'' (Sotetsu apanese ソテツ sago palm, king sago, sago cycad, Japanese sago palm) is a species of gymnosperm in the family Cycadaceae, native to southern Japan including the Ryukyu Islands. It is one of several species used f ...
'' (Sago palm)
and the rest of the order
Cycadales
Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody ( ligneous) trunk with a crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants of a species are either male or ...
.
*''
Cyperus alternifolius'' (Umbrella palm), a sedge in the family
Cyperaceae
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' w ...
*''
Dasylirion longissimum
''Dasylirion longissimum'', the Mexican Grass Tree, is a species of flowering plant native to the Chihuahuan Desert and other xeric habitats in Northeastern Mexico.
Description
Evergreen trunk-forming shrub, slow and moderate growing to tall an ...
'' (Grass palm), a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae and other plants in the genus ''
Dasylirion
''Dasylirion'' is a genus of North American plants in the asparagus family, all native to Mexico, with the ranges of three species also extending into the south-western United States. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the fa ...
''
*''
Dioon spinulosum'' (Gum palm), a
cycad
Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody ( ligneous) trunk with a crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants of a species are either male or ...
in the family
Zamiaceae
The Zamiaceae are a family of cycads that are superficially palm or fern-like. They are divided into two subfamilies with eight genera and about 150 species in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia and North and South Americ ...
*''
Dracaena marginata
''Dracaena reflexa'' (commonly called song of India or song of Jamaica) is a tree native to Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, and other nearby islands of the Indian Ocean. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant and houseplant, valued for its ...
'' (Dragon palm) a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae
*''
Eisenia arborea'' (Southern sea palm), a species of
brown alga
Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and p ...
in the family
Lessoniaceae
*''
Fatsia japonica'' (Figleaf palm), a flowering plant in the family
Araliaceae
The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely, but it is predominantly distinguis ...
*''
Hypnodendron comosum'' (Palm tree moss or palm moss), a
moss in the family
Hypnodendraceae
*''
Musa'' species (Banana palm), a flowering plant in the family
Musaceae
Musaceae is a family of flowering plants composed of three genera with about 91 known species, placed in the order Zingiberales. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves ...
*''
Pachypodium lamerei'' (Madagascar palm), a flowering plant in the family
Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...
*''
Pandanus spiralis
''Pandanus spiralis'' is native to northern Australia. It is commonly called common screwpine, iidool, pandanus palm, screw pine, screw palm or spring pandanus. It is neither a true palm, nor a pine.
Distribution
''Pandanus spiralis'' occur ...
'' (Screw palm), a flowering plant in the family
Pandanaceae[FAO 1995. ''Tropical Palms.''. Introduction. ''NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS'' 10. FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ] and perhaps other ''
Pandanus
''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...
'' spp.
*''
Ravenala
''Ravenala'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, ''Ravenala madagascariensis'', commonly known as the traveller's tree, traveller's palm or East-West palm, from Mada ...
'' (Traveller's palm),
a flowering plant in the family
Strelitziaceae
*''
Setaria palmifolia'' (Palm grass),
a grass in the family
Poaceae
*''
Yucca brevifolia'' (Yucca palm or palm tree yucca)
*''
Yucca filamentosa
''Yucca filamentosa'', Adam’s needle and thread, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae native to the southeastern United States. Growing to tall, it is an evergreen shrub valued in horticulture.
Description
Usually ...
'' (Needle palm) and ''
Yucca filifera
''Yucca filifera'' is a member of the subfamily Agavaceae, family Asparagaceae, native to central Mexico.
History
It was discovered in 1840 in northeastern Mexico between Saltillo and Parras () on 19 May 1847 by merchant and explorer Josiah ...
'' (St. Peter's palm), flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae
*''
Zamia furfuracea
''Zamia furfuracea'' is a cycad endemic to southeastern Veracruz state in eastern Mexico.
Names
Although not a palm tree (Arecaceae), its growth habit is superficially similar to a palm; therefore it is commonly known as cardboard palm or cardbo ...
'' (Cardboard palm), a cycad in the family Zamiaceae
*''
Zamioculcas zamiifolia'' (Emerald palm or aroid palm), a flowering plant in the family Araceae
See also
*
Coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
*
Fan palm
Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms (Arecaceae) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed (rather than pinnately compound). Most are members of the subfamily Coryphoideae, though a few ...
—genera with palmate leaves
*
List of Arecaceae genera
This is a list of all the genera in the botanical family Arecaceae, the palm family, based on Baker & Dransfield (2016), which is a revised listing of genera given in the 2008 edition of '' Genera Palmarum''.
Taxonomy
This is a list of all the ...
*
List of foliage plant diseases (Arecaceae)
*
List of hardy palms
Hardy palms are any of the species of palm (Arecaceae) that are able to withstand ''brief'' periods of colder temperatures and even occasional snowfall. A few palms are native to higher elevations of south Asia where true winter conditions occu ...
—palms able to withstand colder temperatures
* ''
Postelsia''—called the "sea palm" (a
brown alga
Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and p ...
)
References
Citations
General sources
* (Latest Arecaceae or Palmae classification.)
*
*
Schultz-Schultzenstein, C. H. (1832)
''Natürliches System des Pflanzenreichs...'' p
317 Berlin, Germany.
External links
Palmpedia��A wiki-based site dedicated to high quality images and information on palm trees.
Fairchild Guide to Palms��A collection of palm images, scientific data, and horticultural information hosted by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami.
Kew Botanic Garden's Palm Genera list��A list of the currently acknowledged genera by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London, England (Archived 2007)
Palm species listing with images��Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia (PACSOA)
Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida, Inc. (PACSOF) which includes pages o
and
*
in th
{{Authority control
Arecales
Commelinid families
Extant Campanian first appearances
Tropical agriculture