ARECACEAE (Palmae)

Megatherium Cuvieronius Glyptodon Mammuthus Toxodon Acrocomia

Current Angiosperm Phylogeny Group Tree for Flowering Plants monocots palms

Palms, like all commelinids, have silica bodies.

Diversity in the Palm Family

bract

Cocos nucifera - leaves plaited downward

Cocos nucifera - staminate inflorescence DLN photo bract

Geonoma - imperfect flowers Damon Little photos

Calamus

Nypa - the mangrove palm

Nypa distribution, living (red) and fossil (blue)

Corypha

Ceroxylon Ceroxylon quindiuense: the tallest palm (and thus tallest monocotyledon), reaches 60 m (200 feet) in height, and species growing at the highest altitude of the palm family (Arecaceae), at more than 10,000 feet (3000 m) in elevation.

Ceroxylpoideae distribution includes Phytelephas: 8 genera total

arecoid palms in the understory at Monteverde, Costa Rica

Socratea - Amazonian understory palm

Elaeis - the African oil palm. DLN photo

Açaí Palm Euterpe oleracea DLN photo

Phoenix canariensis DLN photo

Asterogyne martiana - palm as treelet

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) sitosterol

sample steroid skeleton sitosterols

Areca catechu - the betel nut

arecoline arecaidine guvacine ARECAL ALKALOIDS GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)

Arecaceae: Key characters Plicate, compound leaves, Leaf sheathes Spathe Drupes Asmussen, C. B., Dransfield, J., Deickmann, V., Barfod, A. S., PINTAUD, J. C., & Baker, W. J. (2006). A new subfamily classification of the palm family (Arecaceae): evidence from plastid DNA phylogeny. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 151(1),