Elaeis guineensis
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Elaeis guineensis habit. Photograph courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Guide to Palms http://palmguide.org/index.php |
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Elaeis guineensis stem with old leaf bases |
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Elaeis guineensis base of stem |
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Elaeis guineensis petioles |
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Elaeis guineensis leaves of young palm |
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Elaeis guineensis close view of wax on rachis (mm scale) |
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Elaeis guineensis close view leaflet attachment to rachis (mm scale) |
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Elaeis guineensis spine arising from leaflet midrib (mm scale) |
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Elaeis guineensis leaflet tips |
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Elaeis guineensis inflorescence |
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Elaeis guineensis seeds. Photograph courtesy of Mariana P. Beckman, DPI |
Common name
African oil palm
Description
Stem: Solitary, erect, to 15 m tall and 60 cm in diameter, sometimes bulging near the middle, covered with old, woody, ridged, somewhat triangular leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
scars. Leaves: Pinnatepinnate:
like a feather; palms with pinnate leaves usually have compound leaflets attached to a rachis, although a pinnate leaf may be entire with pinnate veins (e.g., <em>Chamaedorea metallica</em>)
, reduplicatereduplicate:
Most palm leaflets or leaf segments are obviously folded. If the folds create an upside-down V-shape, with the margins lower than the midrib (so that rain might "run off the roof"), the folding is reduplicate.
, with a graceful, arched rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
. The petiole is armed with spines along the margins, and the drooping, linearlinear:
term to describe leaves and leaflets that are narrow with nearly parallel margins; like a line
, green leaflets are irregularly arranged in clusters and spread in several planes. Lower leaflets wither, leaving sturdy midribs on a rounded base functioning as spines on the petiole. Flowers and fruit: Inflorescences are branched to one order and are 25-30 cm long. Staminatestaminate:
a flower bearing stamens but no pistils; a “male” flower
and pistillatepistillate:
a flower bearing a pistil but no stamens; a “female” flower
flowers are produced on different inflorescences, but on the same palm at different times (males usually first) and may be cream to white in color. Fruits are up to 5 cm long, ovoid, and black or red.
Diagnostic features
Field: Solitary, erect, palm with stem sometimes bulging near the middle and covered with woody, ridged, somewhat triangular leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
scars; clustered, plumoseplumose:
softly feathered
leaflets.
May be confused with
Elaeis oleifera, the American Oil Palm, but this species is shorter, has a more creeping than upright stem, and leaflets that are regularly arranged and spread in the same plane
Distribution
Native to wet areas of tropical Africa
Additional comments
The African Oil Palm is cultivated throughout the tropics, including Hawaii, as an ornamental street tree as well as an important source of palm oil.
Scientific name
Elaeis guineensis Jacq.
Family
Arecaceae/Palmae
Synonyms
Elaeis guianensis Steud.
