Diversity: Mostly arborescent
with some 'woody' vines and shrubs. The family includes about 200
genera and 3,000 species including many of economic importance in the tropics
(betel nut - Areca, oil palm - Elaeis, coconut
- Cocos, date palm - Phoenix).
Distribution: Worldwide
and centered in the tropics and subtropics. We have the single genus
Sabal with two species in Texas..
Floral structure:
Significant features: Palms
are a bit like cacti or bromeliads in that the family carries a suite of
structural features that allow - in most cases - immediate recognition.
Given the lack of secondary xylem, arborescence is often the result of
retained, lignified petiole bases. Leaves - often expressed as a
terminal cluster - are usually quite large (over 80 feet long on the African
raffia palm - Raphia regalis) and compound (both pinnate
and palmate) with sheathing bases. The flowers are small, sometimes
imperfect, and clustered into large, paniculate inflorescences that are
usually subtended by a large foliar bract known as a spathe.
The most common fruit type is a drupe.
