Arecaceae (sometimes known by the names Palmae or Palmaceae, although the latter name is taxonomically invalid.), the Palm Family, is a family of flowering plants belonging to the monocot order, Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical or subtropical climates. Of all the families of plants, the Arecaceae is the most easily recognizable as distinct by most persons. Most palms are distinguished by their large, compound, evergreen leaves arranged at the top of an unbranched stem. However, many palms are exceptions to this statement, and palms in fact exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics. As well as being morphologically diverse, palms also inhabit nearly every type of habitat within their range, from rainforests to deserts.
Palms are one of the most well-known and extensively cultivated plant families. They have had an important role to humans throughout much of history. Many common products and foods are derived from palms, and palms are also widely used in landscaping for their exotic appearance, making them one of the most economically important plants. In many historical cultures, palms were symbols for such ideas as victory, peace, and fertility. Today, palms remain a popular symbol for the tropics and vacations (Anonim, 2007).
1. Phoenix dactylifera L.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Phoenix
Species: Phoenix dactylifera L.
Common Name: Kurma
CHARACTERISTIC
There are still scars of the leaf midrib on the trunks
BENEFIT
Edible fruit
DESCRIPTION
The date palm grows about 23 metres (75 feet) tall. Its stem, strongly marked with the pruned stubs of old leaf bases, terminates in a crown of graceful, shining, pinnate leaves about 5 metres (16 feet) long. Floral spikes branch from the axils of leaves that emerged the previous year. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Under cultivation the female flowers are artificially pollinated. The date is a one-seeded fruit, or drupe, usually oblong but varying much in shape, size, colour, quality, and consistency of flesh, according to the conditions of culture and the variety. More than 1,000 dates may appear on a single bunch weighing 8 kg (18 pounds) or more.
The tree is propagated either from seeds or from suckers, offshoots that arise chiefly near the base of the stem in the early years of the life of the palm. Offshoots are used for commercial plantings. When offshoots are three to six years old and have formed roots of their own, they are removed and planted. Palms begin to bear fruit in 4 to 5 years and reach full bearing at 10 to 15 years, yielding 40 to 80 kg (90 to 180 pounds) or more each. Palms are known to live as long as 150 years, but their fruit production declines, and in commercial culture they are replaced at an earlier age.
The tree is propagated either from seeds or from suckers, offshoots that arise chiefly near the base of the stem in the early years of the life of the palm. Offshoots are used for commercial plantings. When offshoots are three to six years old and have formed roots of their own, they are removed and planted. Palms begin to bear fruit in 4 to 5 years and reach full bearing at 10 to 15 years, yielding 40 to 80 kg (90 to 180 pounds) or more each. Palms are known to live as long as 150 years, but their fruit production declines, and in commercial culture they are replaced at an earlier age.
All parts of the date palm yield products of economic value. Its trunk furnishes timber; the midribs of the leaves supply material for crates and furniture; the leaflets, for basketry; the leaf bases, for fuel; the fruit stalks, for rope and fuel; the fibre, for cordage and packing material; and the seeds are sometimes ground and used as stock feed. Syrup, alcohol, vinegar, and a strong liquor are derived from the fruit. The sap is also used as a beverage, either fresh or fermented, but, because the method of extraction seriously injures the palm, only those trees that produce little fruit are used for sap. When a palm is cut down, the tender terminal bud is eaten as a salad.
DISTRIBUTION
Mediterranean countries
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
2. Cariota mitis Herb.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Caryota
Species: Caryota mitis Herb.
Common name: Sarai
CHARACTERISTIC
Leaves look like caudal fin of fish
BENEFIT
Ornamental plant
DESCRIPTION
Fruits, leaves and stems contain various alkaloids, Pulp of fruit contains calcium oxalate crystals. Phytochemical screening of seed oil yielded phytosterols, triterpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. Proximate analysis of seed oil yielded moisture content 42%, crude fiber 34.30, carbohydrate 11.92%, crude fat 5.30%, crude protein 4.64% and ash content 1.84% on dry matter basis. Mineral content yielded iron (3.10 ± 0.02 mg/kg) manganese (0.11 ±0.01 mg/kg), sodium (154.15 ±1.98 mg/kg) and potassium (127.04 ± 1.21 mg/kg). Phytochemical screening of leaves yielded steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids. LC-MS/MS study detected eight piperidine and pyridine alkaloids in the genus C. mitis for the first time: nicotine (1), methyl N-methylpiperidine-3-carboxylate (2), propyl N-methylpiperidine-3-carboxylate (3), ethyl N-methyl piperidine-3-carboxylate (4), guvacoline (5), ethyl N-methyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carboxylate (6), arecoline (7), and ethyl nicotinate (8). (see study below). Phytochemical analysis and chromatographic fractionation of total ethanolic extract of C. mitis leaves yielded ten compounds viz. β-amyrin (1), β-sitosterol (2), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D glucoside (3), kaempferol (4), quercetin (5), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (8), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (9), and chlorogenic acid methyl ester (10), (see study below) (14) (Jiu, 2010)
DISTRIBUTION
Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
3. Cocos nucifera L.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Cocos
Species: Cocos nucifera L.
Common name: Kelapa
CHARACTERISTIC
Monopodial, leaves with very deep notch
BENEFIT
Edible fruit
DESCRIPTION
The plant is an arborescent monocotyledonous tree of around 25 m in height (giant coconut) with a dense canopy . The root of the coconut system is fasciculated. The stem is an unbranched type, and at its apex, a tuft of leaves protects a single apical bud. The pinnate leaves are feather-shaped, having a petiole, rachis and leaflets. Under favorable environmental conditions, the giant adult coconut emits 12–14 inflorescence spikes per year, while the adult dwarf coconut can emit 18 spikes in the same period. The axillary inflorescence has globular clusters of female flowers. The plant is monoecious (male and female reproductive organs on the same plant).
The coconut fruit comprises an outer epicarp, a mesocarp, and an inner endocarp. The epicarp, which is the outer skin of the fruit, and the mesocarp, which is heavy, fibrous, and tanned when dry, have many industrial uses. The endocarp is the hard dark core. Inside is a solid white albumen of varied thickness, depending on the age of the fruit, and with an oily pulp consistency and a liquid albumen called coconut water that is thick, sweet, and slightly acidic (Bruz, 2015).
DISTRIBUTION
Australia India, Asia, Africa, America
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
4. Cyrtostachys renda Blume.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Cyrtostachys
Species: Cyrtostachys renda Blume.
Common name: Palem merah
CHARACTERISTIC
Red leaf midrib
BENEFIT
Ornamental plant
DESCRIPTION
Stem: Stem c. 6 – 10 cm diam., green with greyish stripes or yellow with somewhat greenish and purplish stripes, internodes 15 – 24 cm long, crown appearing shuttle-cock shaped. Leaves : Leaves 7 – 10 in crown, erect, stiff, to 150 cm long; sheath tubular, c. 100 cm long, forming distinct crownshaft, scarlet to bright red, with scattered black thick scales; petiole elongate, 5 – 50 cm long, 1.5 – 2.5 cm wide and 1 – 2 cm thick at the base, channelled adaxially, rounded abaxially, red, indumentum as sheath; leaflets regularly arranged, leathery, 26 – 40 leaflets on each side, 56 – 107 × 3 – 6 cm at middle portion, apical leaflets 10 – 20 × 1 – 2 cm, briefly pointed with long tip and sometimes notched at apices, green, discolorous when dried, glaucous adaxially, waxy white abaxially, mid-vein with discontinuous membranous brown scales.
Inflorescences: Inflorescence strongly divaricate, to 90 cm long, branched to 2 (possibly 3) orders, creamy, green to dark purplish-red; peduncle 5 – 8 cm long; rachilla 27 – 73.5 cm long and 4 – 6 mm diam., calyx persistent on rachillae when fruits fallen off; pits 2 – 5 mm diam., 5 – 7 pits per 1 cm rachilla length
Flowers: Staminate flowers 2 – 2.5 × 2 – 3 mm, asymmetrical; sepals 1.8 – 2 × 2 mm, imbricate, rounded, strongly keeled; petals 1 – 2 × 1 – 1.8 mm, triangular, brown at apex and base; stamens 12 – 15; filaments 0.7 – 1 × 0.2 – 0.3 mm; anthers 1 – 1.5 × 0.5 – 0.8 mm; pollen size, long axis 36 – 43 µm, short axis 27 – 33 µm, proximal wall thickness 1.5 – 2 µm, distal wall thickness not observed, tectum surface microfossulate-rugulate, trichotomosulcate grains present; pistillode 0.7 – 1 × 0.2 – 0.5 mm, trifid Pistillate flowers 4 – 5 × 3 – 4 mm; sepals 3 – 4 × 2 – 3 mm, imbricate, strongly keeled, dark brown to black; petals 3 – 3.5 × 2 – 2.5 mm; gynoecium 3.5 × 1.5 mm (including three recurved stigma 0.5 – 1 mm); staminodes circular, 0.5 – 1 mm height.
Fruits: Fruits 7 – 10 × 4 – 7 mm, ellipsoid to ovoid, light green becoming black when ripe
Seeds: Seeds 4 – 5 × 3 – 5 × 3 – 5, ellipsoid to ovoid (Heatubund, 2010)
DISTRIBUTION
Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Java
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
5. Elaeis guineensis Jacq.
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Elaeis
Species: Elaeis guineensis Jacq.
Common name: Sawit
CHARACTERISTIC
Single leaves, divided into costa
BENEFIT
A source of cooking oil
DESCRIPTION
E. guineensis is a monoecious, erect, one-stemmed palm tree, usually 20–30 m high, with an adventitious root system that forms a dense mat in the upper 35 cm of the soil with only a few roots penetrating deeper than 1 m. The stem is cylindrical, up to 75 cm in diameter and covered with petiole bases in young palms, smooth in older trees (>10–12 years old). Juvenile leaves are lanceolate and entire but gradually becoming pinnate; mature leaves spirally arranged, paripinnate, up to 7.5 m long; petiole 1–2 m long, spinescent, clasping the stem at base; leaflets linear, 35–65 x 2-4 cm, up to 376 per leaf. Inflorescences are unisexual, axillary, pedunculate, until anthesis enclosed in two fusiform or ovate spathes 10–30 cm long, with flowers 3-merous; male ones with numerous cylindrical spikes forming an ovoid body 15–25 cm long and bearing flowers with 6 stamens, connate at base, with linear anthers; female ones subglobose, 15–35 cm diameter, with numerous lanceolate, spiny bracts, each subtending a cylindrical spikelet with 10–20 spirally arranged female flowers, each with two rudimentary male flowers; stigma sessile, 3-lobed. Fruits are ovoid-oblong drupes, 2–5 cm long, tightly packed in large ovoid bunches with 1000–3000 fruits; drupes with a thin exocarp, an oleiferous mesocarp and a lignified endocarp containing the kernel with embryo and solid endosperm (Nick, 2008).
DISTRIBUTION
Africa, Indonesia, Madagaskar, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Central America
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
6. Hyophorbe lagenicaulis
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Liliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Hyophorbe
Species: Hyophorbe lagenicaulis
Common name: Palem botol
CHARACTERISTIC
The trunks bulging like a bottle
BENEFIT
Ornamen plant
DESCRIPTION
Hyophorbe lagenicaulis is a little dwarf to medium sized palm with distinctive bottle shaped trunk (hence the common name). It will grow slowly to a height of 3-5 (or more) metres. The amazing swollen trunk is the eye catcher on this palm, but it also has other interesting characteristics that come and go as the palm matures from a seedling to a mature specimen. It is a slow grower that can take years to reach its mature height. Trunk: Massive stumpy fat-bellied, smooth, grey, with noticeable ring scars, widest at the base, tapering upwards to the neck of the bottle formed by the crownshaft, and up to 60 cm in diameter. The trunk is rounded upright and regular, in young specimens and will grow to be elongated and grotesquely distorted as the palm matures. Very young bottle palms often have the trunk covered by persistent leaf bases. It is commonly thought that the swollen trunk is for the purpose of water storage but Hyophorbe lagenicaulis is not a succulent plan, it is a myth that the trunk is a means by which the palm stores water. Crown: Small, sparse, with only 4 to 6(-8) fronds open at any time. Crownshaft: Smooth that connects the leaves to the trunk. Palm's juvenile period, the crownshaft and leaf petioles are red to orange colour changing to the normal greyish green colour as it matures. Leaves: Finely pinnate, upwardly arching, 2,5-3,5 m long in mature specimens. Leaflets, stiff, smooth, about 60 cm long and arranged in two upward pointing rows. Petiole small, 15-20 cm long. Inflorescences: Rise from under the crown at the point where the crownshaft meets the trunk. They grow upward as they mature supporting numeroustiny, cream-coloured flowers on the same stalk. Flowers are monoecious, male and female flowers on the same inflorescence. Fruit: 2,5 cm round green turning orange to black as they mature (Page, 2014).
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical Asia
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
7. Pinanga coronata
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Liliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Pinanga
Species: Pinanga coronata
Common name: Bingbin
CHARACTERISTIC
Hanging down red crown
BENEFIT
Crops and medicinal plant
DESCRIPTION
Habit: clustering with a crown of 3-5 feather leaves per stem Height: 8' Trunk: multiple; 2" thick; ringed; green; yellow-green to ivory Crownshaft: 6" tall; yellow-green; barely larger that stem belowSpread: 8'+ Leaf Description: pinnate; flat to slightly recurved; very subtle 'V' on cross section; lime green; new leaves sometimes pinkish; leaflets near end of leaf flat-tipped and often wider than the rest; 4'-6' long Petiole/Leaf bases: 6"-1' long; yellow to yellow-green; new leaves have pink petioles; unarmed; un-split bases; channeled out of crownshaft to roundish distally Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: 1' long; pendulous; branched; pale yellow (new) to bright pink or red Fruit: nearly spherical; 1/2" long; yellow to red-pink when ripe (Geoff, 2015)
DISTRIBUTION
Endemic to Indonesia
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
7. Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F. Cook
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Liliopsida
Ordo: Arecales
Familia: Arecaceae
Genus: Roystonea
Species: Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F. Cook
Common name: Palem raja
CHARACTERISTIC
Large palm with green spheroid to ellipsoid immature fruit
BENEFIT
Ornamental plant
DESCRIPTION
Royal palm is a very beautiful, slender, elegant and relatively fast-growing, single-stemmed evergreen palm tree that can grow from 7 - 30 metres tall. The unbranched stem can be 40 - 57cm in diameter; it is topped by a crown of 15 - 18 leaves. The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for its edible apical bud. It is very commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant and street tree in the tropics.
DISTRIBUTION
Asia, Florida, Mexico
LOCATION
STATUS
Exist
REFERENCES
Page, W. 1998. Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version
2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>
Geoff. 2015. Pinanga coronata. Retrieved from:
http://www.palmpedia.net/palmsforcal/Pinanga_coronata
Kim. 2006. Roystonea regia. Retrieved from: http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php
id=Roystonea+regia
Hidayat, Topik & Abdurrahman, Eman. 2017. Keanekaragaman Tumbuhan Biji di Kampus UPI
Bandung. Bandung: UPI Press.
Geisler. Tanpa tahun. Date Palm in Britanica. Retrieved from :
Anonim. 2007. Archariaceae. Retrieved from.
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/a/Arecaceae.htm.
Jiu. 2010. Caryota mitis Herb. Retrieved from: http://www.stuartxchange.org/Pugahan
Bruz. 2015. Cocos Nucifera L. Retrieved from:
Heatubun, C.D., Baker, W.J., Mogea, J.P. et al. 2010. A monograph of Cyrtostachys
(Arecaceae). Kew Bulletin 64: 67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-009-9096-4.
Nick. 2008. Elaeis guineensis (African oil palm). Retrieved from:
https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/20295.