Arecaceae

=Family description=
 * Palms**, i.e., evergreen trees or lianas without branches, single stemmed or with several stems clustered together, stems usually with conspicuous concentric rings (leaf scars).
 * Leaves** simple or pinnate, sometimes huge in size, with distinct stalks which are often enlarged at base and form a sheath around the stem.
 * Flowers** in branched clusters protected by a large conspicuous bract (spathe) in bud, usually starting amongst or just below the leaves but being left behind when leaf drops. Individual flowers tiny, usually unisexual, without stalks, calyx segments typically in 2 rows of 3, males mostly with 6 stamens (sometimes 3, 9 or more).
 * Fruits** a fleshy or fibrous drupe, usually 1-seeded.

=General info=
 * Distribution** (Sub-)tropical only, with 203 genera and 2650 species.
 * Ecology** Can be found almost anywhere, but the tree forms (as opposed to the rattans) not very common in Asian tropical forests.
 * Uses** One of the most useful of all plant families, particularly for building materials, oil (palm oil) and food. Many species also grown as ornamentals.

=Treated genera=
 * Borassus
 * Calamus
 * Caryota
 * Pinanga
 * Livistona

Palms.pdf Monocots.pdf

Borassus sp.

Calamus draco

Caryota sp

Pinanga sp

Livistona chinensis