Calamoideae

Calamus gibbsianus

The Calamoideae are a subfamily of the palm family ( Arecaceae ). They are considered primitive subfamily comprise about a quarter of all species of palm trees and with the Calamus by far the most species-rich genus. A distinguishing feature of the representatives are the overlapping scales on fruit and ovary.

Features

The representatives may be either hermaphrodite, monoecious, dioecious or polygamous palms. They are simple ( hapaxanth ) or multiple flowering ( pollakanth ). Frequently they are heavily armored. The leaves are pinnate, fiederrippig or rarely fan-shaped. The inflorescences are often heavily branched. The bracts are usually Roehrig. The flowers are almost always of them ( in pairs ) or derivatives in dyads. Unisexual flowers are designed only slightly different. Ovary and fruit are shed occupied, which are mostly in vertical rows. The ovary is incomplete divided into three compartments. The ovules are anatrop their micropyle facing the center of the ovary. The pericarp is the fruit maturity thin, a endocarp is not differentiated (except for Eugeissona ). In a fruit develop one to three seeds, which usually have a thick Sarko Testa.

Dissemination

Four genera occur in the tropics of the New World ( Neotropics ) before: Mauritia, Mauritiella, Lepidocaryum and raffia. The rest is native to the tropics of the Old World (Africa, Asia, Australia). The highest species diversity is found in Male Rhodesia and adjacent areas of Southeast Asia.

System

The Calamoideae within the meaning of Dransfield et al. (2008) virtually all studies as a natural kinship group ( monophyletic ) are identified. In most work, they are the sister group of all other palms. Some work they see as a sister group of all the palm trees with the exception of Nypa.

Within the subfamily three tribes are distinguished, their relationship is as follows:

Eugeissoneae

Lepidocaryeae

Calameae

For a list of all genera, see palm family.