Elaeis guineensis Jacq.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13416970/13416973

Conservation

LC - least concern

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 100 - 1500 m.

Morphology General Habit

Árbol, palma solitaria

Distribution

Elevation range: 100–1500 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Bolívar, Caquetá, Casanare, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Tree, Solitary palm.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

Palmae, T. A. Russell. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:1. 1968

Vernacular

The African Oil Palm

Diagnostic

Easily recognizable by its arching, dark-green leaves and straight trunk clothed when young with petiole-bases

Ecology

Is cultivated and occurs spontaneously in much of the forest zone from Senegal to Cameroun, being particularly abundant near habitations, in land which has been tilled, and in river valleys.

Note

Several forms, differing in structure and colour of the fruit, are described in Kew Bull. 1909: 33 and 1914: 285, and in Holland 4: 734.

Palmae, John Dransfield. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1994

Morphology General Habit

Robust tree palm, in cultivated specimens often flowering while still trunkless.

Morphology Trunk

Trunk to 30 m. tall, usually much less, 30–50 cm. diameter, rarely broader, covered by remains of leaf-bases when young, eventually becoming bare, but in high rainfall areas frequently obscured by epiphytes.

Morphology Leaves

Crown massive, consisting of 40–50 expanded leaves in a 8/13 phyllotaxis. Leaves to 7.5 m. long in well-grown adults; leaf-base long-persistent, with coarse brown fibres and upward pointing fibre-spines to 35 × 5 mm., ± 10 mm. distant, confined to the sheath-margins; petiole to 1.25 m. long, to 20 cm. wide at the base, distally armed with bulbous-based spines to 4 cm. long by 1 cm. wide at the base, 1–5 cm. distant, representing pulvini and midribs of the basal-most leaflets; rachis semicircular in cross-section proximally, tapering above, with 2 lateral grooves or faces; leaflets eventually 100–150 on each side, inserted rather irregularly in 2 planes, the whole leaf hence plumose, to 120 cm. long, 8 cm. wide (in var. idolatrica A. Chev., a rare mutant, the lamina remaining ± entire, not splitting into leaflets).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences either male or female, or rarely bearing both male and female, or even more rarely with hermaphrodite flowers, individual palms passing through alternating phases of male and female inflorescence production. Peduncle of male inflorescence 15–20 cm. long, 5 cm. or more in diameter, densely hairy; rachillae crowded, ± 50 in number, 10–20 cm. long, 1–2 cm. wide, with a bare spine-like tip to 1 cm. long; bracts to 3 × 1.5 mm. Female inflorescence more massive than the male; rachillae much shorter, the spine-like tip to 2 cm. long.

sex Male

Peduncle of male inflorescence 15–20 cm. long, 5 cm. or more in diameter, densely hairy; rachillae crowded, ± 50 in number, 10–20 cm. long, 1–2 cm. wide, with a bare spine-like tip to 1 cm. long; bracts to 3 × 1.5 mm. Male flower with 3 chaffy cucullate sepals to 2 × 1.5 mm., and 3 chaffy acute petals to 2 × 1.5 mm.; androecial tube to 2.5 mm. long at anthesis; anthers reflexed, to 1.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flower accompanied by 2 usually abortive male flowers and 2 bracteoles; sepals ±10× 4 mm. with rounded tips; petals similar to sepals; staminodal ring to 1 mm. high, 6-toothed; ovary ± 5 mm. in diameter; styles and stigmas to 10 mm. long. Male flower with 3 chaffy cucullate sepals to 2 × 1.5 mm., and 3 chaffy acute petals to 2 × 1.5 mm.; androecial tube to 2.5 mm. long at anthesis; anthers reflexed, to 1.5 mm. long.

sex Female

Female flower accompanied by 2 usually abortive male flowers and 2 bracteoles; sepals ±10× 4 mm. with rounded tips; petals similar to sepals; staminodal ring to 1 mm. high, 6-toothed; ovary ± 5 mm. in diameter; styles and stigmas to 10 mm. long. Female inflorescence more massive than the male; rachillae much shorter, the spine-like tip to 2 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit partially enclosed in the enlarged calyx and corolla, tipped by stylar remains, very variable in size, ± 3–5.5 × 2–3 cm., somewhat asymmetrical, usually bright orange with dark red, almost black pigmentation in the exposed upper parts; mesocarp ± 5–10 mm. thick, yellowish, oil-rich; endocarp blackish brown, 2–5 mm. thick.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed usually 1 only, 2–3 × 1–1.5 cm. with a thin integument; endosperm homogeneous with a narrow central cavity, oil-rich.

Figures

Figs. 10 and 11.

Habitat

In E. Africa, confined to gallery forest in high rainfall areas; sea-level to ± 1500 m.

Distribution

moister areas of tropical Africa and E. Madagascarnow widespread throughout the tropics as an oil-producing crop      Africa   coastal towns, upland towns, Amani K7 P T2 T3 T6 U2 Z

Distribution

Native to W Africa, but planted throughout the tropics for its oil-rich fruits which are a major source of plant oil on a world scale (Hartley, 1977). In Ecuador it is grown in large plantations below 500 m elevation, particularly in the Santo Domingo-Quinind� area.

General Description

Canopy palm. Stem solitary, erect, to 10 m tall, ca. 30-50 cm in diameter. Leaves to 5 m long; pinnae 100 or more on each side, inserted in groups and spreading in different planes. Fruits glossy red to black.