553.000 Hyphaene Gaertn.

Dioecious trees. Leaves large, borne spirally; leaf bases persistent but eventually falling to leave a bare trunk; petiole armed with regular large upward-pointing black teeth; lamina costapalmate, divided to about 1/3 the length into V-shaped segments; leaf segments lacking conspicuous cross-veins but dotted with abundant black scales; filaments conspicuous at the sinuses; the lamina surface often waxy and dotted with black scales. Male inflorescences branched bearing 1-several fasciculate, flower-bearing branches. Male flowers borne in groups of 3; calyx tubular at base with 3 lobes; corolla stalk-like at base, also 3-lobed; stamens 6. Female flowers solitary in axil of each bract, larger than male; ovary spherical, 3-locular. Fruit variable, borne on an enlarged pedicel, with stigmatic remain borne at the base.

Worldwide: c. 10 species in Africa, Madagascar, Arabia and India

Zimbabwe: 2 taxa.