Arecaceae

Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis)

The palm family or palms ( Arecaceae or Palmae ) are the only family of the order of the palm -like ( Arecales ) within the monocots. Related species were widespread before about 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. The family contains 183 genera and about 2,600 extant species.

In the palm family, the longest leaf place (for palm of the genus Raffia with up to 25 meters in length ), the largest seeds (of the coco de mer ( Lodoicea maldivica ) with up to 22 kg weight), and the largest inflorescence ( in the genus Corypha with an estimated 10 million flowers per inflorescence) of the plant kingdom.

  • 3.1 foods
  • 3.2 Building Materials
  • 3.3 Horticulture
  • 5.1 Literature
  • 5.2 Notes and references

Features

The representatives of the palm family are very diverse. They are small, medium or large, they are available individually or in groups (clusters), they are armed or unarmed. You can many times in life ( pleonanth ) or bloom only once in a lifetime ( hapaxanth ). They are hermaphroditic, polygamous, monoecious or dioecious.

The trunk is " woody ". He is slim and solid, very short to very high, it may be creeping, underground, climbing or upright. Normally the trunk is unbranched in the above-ground area, it is rarely branched dichotomously. The tribe lacks a cambium, palms therefore lacks Secondary growth. Some palm trees, however, a diffuse growth in thickness. The internodes are short to long. The leaf scars are conspicuous to inconspicuous. Some palm trees occur stilt roots.

The leaves are alternate and are available in a spiral arrangement, rarely distichous ( distich ). The leaf blade is initially formed always undivided, often it splits later on. The leaves can be armed with spines or bristles, they are bald or variously covered with scales and / or hairs. Sometimes they have a ligule -like appendages on either side or in front of the petiole. The sheaths sometimes constitute Kronschaft. The petiole is usually in the form clearly. It is reinforced or unreinforced different. A Hastula can be configured or missing.

The shape of the leaf blade is wide ( Palmat, fan palm ), costapalmat, pinnate ( pinnat ), bipinnate ( bipinnat ), two-piece ( bifid ) or undivided, but then with fiederförmiger veining. In the bud the sheet is folded. Later, the leaf blade tears either along the adaxial folding ( induplicat ) on or along the abaxial edges ( reduplicat ). Only rarely do they not tear between the folded edges or. The thus resulting segments or pinnules are lanceolate or linear to rhombic or wedge-shaped. In cross-section in the pinnules induplicaten leaves V-shaped, wherein the reduplicaten Λ -shaped. You are folded one or more times, usually they have a midrib and numerous parallel secondary veins. The segments tear rarely between these secondary veins further. The leaf blade may be different hairy or scaly, even spines and bristles come before. The proximal leaflets can at climbing species to be converted thorns ( Akanthophylle ), the rachis can be transformed distal to a climbing aid ( Ranke ) and then you can also wear Akanthophylle.

Generative features

The inflorescences are usually located on the side or rarely at the top. Is the inflorescence at the top of the palm (terminal = terminal ), then the plant dies after flowering and seed formation; these species are hapaxanth, so perennial, all others are enduring. The most highly branched inflorescences are encased in a spathe of knospigen state for protection. The flowers may be bisexual, but mostly they are unisexual. There are monoecious ( monoecious ) and dioecious ( dioecious ) palm species. The flowers are always in threes and are mostly radial symmetry, rare flower structure is spirally. There are usually three sepals and petals available; they are free or fused. There are usually six, rarely fewer stamens present; these are often reduced to some staminodes. The three carpels can be completely free or fused at their base. Each carpel containing one to two ovules. Rarely you can see a stylus and so the three stigmas per flower are mostly sitting. Pollination is by insects ( entomophily ) or by the wind ( anemophily ).

Palm trees form indehiscent fruits, mostly hard berries or drupes. The pericarp is smooth, hairy, covered with spines or scales. The fruits usually contain one or two or three or rarely up to ten seeds.

Dissemination

Palm trees are common in tropical and subtropical areas. The greatest species diversity is found in tropical rain forests, but palm trees grow in some seasonal or semi-arid areas. An example of the latter is about the right palmy Cerrado in Central Brazil.

In the north, the area of ​​the palm extends to about 44 ° N latitude in southern France ( Chamaerops humilis ), in the south of about 44 ° to the Chatham Islands near New Zealand ( Rhopalostylis sapida ). In North America, Sabal minor reaches almost 36 ° north latitude in North Carolina, Washingtonia filifera in California to 37 °. In South America Jubaea chilensis ranges up to 35 ° in Chile. On the Asian mainland Nannorrhops ritchiana extends to about 34 ° north latitude in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Australia, Livistona australis extends over 37 ° in Africa Jubaeopsis caffra to about 31 °.

Use

Food

From around 100 palm trees are the fruits are edible ( date palm, Palmyra palm), of the other seeds ( coconut, betel nut, palmyra ). The edible vegetation cone is called palm heart, from the pith of the stem of some species can Sago win. In the Indo-Malayan area, the sago palm has a great importance as a source of starch. The sap of palm trees used for the production of beverages, from him Sugar can also be obtained. Through Fermentation produces palm wine. Also by the fermentation of fruit pulp can be produced drinks. A few palm flowers attract bees, palm honey is obtained not by bees, but is produced by boiling down the juice Palm about how maple syrup.

Building Materials

In many countries, the palm is the basic material for building houses, the trunks are used as wood and water-repellent leaves for roofing. From Rotangpalmen ( Calamus ) Rattan furniture is manufactured.

Horticulture

Palms are used both as a style element in the presentation of southern impression as well as in low rainfall areas for soil stabilization on slopes and (possibly irrigated ) parks. They are also much less sensitive to wind damage than deciduous trees, so that they can thrive well in windy locations.

System

The systematics of the Arecaceae learned in recent years by molecular genetic studies some changes, while many long-established groups were confirmed. 2005, the various elements of the work summary classification of the family has been published. The nomenclature used here is the slightly modified version, as it is presented in Genera palmarum 2008:

  • Raphia
  • Metroxylon
  • Subfamily Nypoideae Nipapalme ( Nypa )
  • Date palms ( Phoenix)
  • Corypha
  • Podococcus
  • Orania
  • Subtribe Attaleinae Beccariophoenix
  • Jubaeopsis
  • Voanioala
  • Allagoptera
  • Attalea
  • Jelly palm ( Butia )
  • Coconut palm (Cocos )
  • Wine Palm ( Jubaea )
  • Lytocaryum
  • Syagrus
  • Parajubaea
  • Acrocomia
  • Astrocaryum
  • Thorn trees ( Aiphanes )
  • Bactris
  • Desmoncus
  • Barcella
  • Oil palms ( Elaeis )
  • Subtribe Archontophoenicinae Actinorhytis
  • Archontophoenix
  • Actinokentia
  • Chambeyronia
  • Kentiopsis
  • Betel palms ( Areca )
  • Nenga
  • Pinanga
  • Basselinia
  • Burretiokentia
  • Cyphophoenix
  • Cyphosperma
  • Lepidorrhachis
  • Physokentia
  • Cyphokentia
  • Clinosperma
  • Dypsis
  • Lemurophoenix
  • Marojejya
  • Masoala
  • Calyptrocalyx
  • Linospadix
  • Howea
  • Laccospadix
  • Ptychosperma
  • Ponapea
  • Adonidia
  • Solfia
  • Balaka
  • Veitchia
  • Carpentaria
  • Wodyetia
  • Drymophloeus
  • Normanbya
  • Brassiophoenix
  • Ptychococcus
  • Rhopalostylis
  • Hedyscepe

Phylogenetic relationships of the five subfamilies are represented by the following cladogram:

Arecoideae

Ceroxyloideae

Coryphoideae

Nypoideae

Calamoideae

Swell

  • The Arecaceae family in APWebsite (English )
  • Description of the family Arecaceae at DELTA. (English )
  • Pei Shengjii, Chen Sanyang & John Dransfield: Arecaceae: description and identification key of the Chinese taxa in Flora of China ( draft). (English )
Edward Bromhead Extant taxon Vascular cambium Leaf shape Thorns, spines, and prickles Berry Borassus akeassii Phoenix (plant) Palm syrup Calamus (palm) Cryosophileae Tahina Palm Medemia argun Wendlandiella Gaussia (plant) Orania (plant) Attalea (palm) Euterpe (palm) Verschaffeltia splendida Digital Object Identifier Integrated Authority File
76382
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