Elaeis guineensis plant (African Oil Palm) 
Qiantity : 01 Plant
Plant Size : 25 - 30Cm
 
International Common Names
English: oil palm
Spanish: palma africana; palma de aceite
French: palmier a huile; palmier à huile; palmier a huile d'Afrique; palmier a l'huile


E. guineensis, the African oil palm, is a major source of oil for human food uses, and also for secondary industrial uses. It is an important part of local nutrition and customs, and a significant product of global commercial importance. It has been widely introduced pan-tropically, and has recently seen a surge in plantation establishment due to the increased interest in biofuels. There are, however, some reports of it escaping cultivation and naturalizing, and it has been noted as invasive in a few islands in Micronesia, with unconfirmed reports of invasiveness in Bahia, Brazil, possibly threatening remnant native coastal Atlantic forest. However, there are no firm records of it having significant negative environmental effects directly, other than those caused by deforestation in order to clear land for new plantations. Thus, while not a major invasive species, it may be prudent to survey any spread near to sensitive ecological sites.

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.