Elaeis

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences | 1998 | 565 words | Copyright

Elaeis (oil palm; family Palmae) A genus of stout, solitary palms which have persistent leaf-bases, and a crown of numerous, large, pinnate leaves. They are monoecious. There are dense, axillary, separate male and female inflorescences. The fruits have an oily, fleshy-fibrous mesocarp and a stony endocarp (stone) with 3 apsical pores, containing 1 seed, which has an oily endosperm. There are 2 species, 1 found in Africa, and 1 in northern S. America. The former, E. guineensis, is now cultivated extensively as one of the world's major sources of vegetable oil.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Elaeis." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Elaeis." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-Elaeis.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Elaeis." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-Elaeis.html

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