656.000 Elaeis Jacq. - Oil palms

Monoecious trees. Leaves large; petiole base armed with sharp teeth; lamina pinnate; leaflets Λ-shaped in cross-section; lower leaflets with spine-like midribs. Inflorescences mostly unisexual, branched with a short peduncle, the flower-bearing branches very crowded and congested among the leaf sheaths. Male flowers solitary; sepals 3; petals 3; stamens 6, united basally. Female flowers much larger than male, usually forming a triad with 2 abortive male flowers; sepals 3; petals 3; stigmas 3, fleshy and conspicuous; ovary 3-locular. Fruit shiny, with a conspicuous 3-pored stone.

Derivation of name: Derived from elaion, the Greek word for oil

Worldwide: 2 species; one in Africa and Madagascar, the other in eastern S America

Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated taxon.