Arecaceae the Palm Family
ARECACEAE THE PALM FAMILY The Leaves are: • Parallel veined • Large • Compound • Alternate • Monocots Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes) • Woody shrubs or trees comprising about 85 genera and 2,800 species • Leaves large, alternate, with a petiole, and palmately or pinnately compound, lacking stipules • Inflorescence is usually a panicle and is typically with one or more bracts or spathes • Flowers are actinomorphic, generally small, and are bisexual or more often unisexual. • Perianth usually consists of two whorls of 3 distinct or connate segments each, often distinguished primarily by size, the outer series or calyx being the smaller. • Androecium consists typically of 6 distinct stamens in two whorls of 3 each but sometimes comprises up to several hundred variously connate or adnate stamens. • Gynoecium is syncarpous or apocarpous. • Syncarpous forms consist of a single compound pistil of usually 3 carpels, 1 or 3 styles, and a superior ovary with 3 locules, each containing a single basal, axile, or apical ovule. • Apocarpous forms consist of usually 3 simple pistils, each with a superior ovary containing one locule with a single basal to apical ovule. • Fruit is usually a drupe. • Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera), Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes) Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) CYCLANTHACEAE The Leaves are: • Parallel veined • Coming to the midrib • Simple or compound • Alternate • Monocots • Shrubs, or herbs Sphaeradenia alleniana • Stem contains watery or milky juice • Leaves alternate; spiral (usually), or distichous; with a petiole; sheathing; simple, or compound; when compound palmate and “palm-like” • Inflorescences terminal, or axillary; pedunculate, unbranched, long-cylindrical to subspherical spadices, with rather few to very numerous flowers; • Flowers small, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, lacking a peduncle • Perianth of ‘tepals’; 4; free, or joined • Androecium consists of 10-20 stamens • Gynoecium has 4 carpels, syncarpous, ovary is partly inferior, or inferior and 1- locular.
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