Family: Arecaceae (Palmae) Bercht. & J. Presl 1820
Description-internal
Trees or shrubs with unbranched or rarely branched trunks; apex of stem with a large apical meristem
Distribution
Widespread in tropical to warm temperate regions
Floral characters
Flowers bisexual or unisexual, radial, usually sessile, with perianth usually differentiated into calyx and corolla. Sepals 3, distinct to connate, usually imbricate. Petals usually 3, distinct to connate, imbricate to valvate. Stamens 3 or 6 to numerous; filaments distinct to connate, free or adnate to petals; pollen grains usually monosulcate. Carpels usually 3, but occasionally as many as 10, sometimes appearing to have a single carpel, distinct to connate; stigmas various. Ovules 1in each locule
Systematic remarks
alos named as Palmae
Leaf characters
alternate, often crowded in a terminal crown, but sometimes well separated, simple and entire, but usually splitting in a pinnate to palmate fashion as the leaf expands, and at maturity appearing palmately lobed, costpalmately lobed, pinnately lobed or compound, or rarely twice pinnately compound
Stipules
absent
Fruit characters
a drupe, often fibrous, or rarely a berry; endosperm with oils or carohydrates, sometimes ruminate
