555.000 Borassus L.

Dioecious trees; stems often swollen in upper half. Leaves very large, persistent but eventually falling to leave a bare trunk; petiole armed with irregular black teeth, varying greatly in size and shape; lamina palmate or costapalmate, divided into numerous usually bifid segments; leaf segments with conspicuous cross-veins and lacking black spots. Inflorescences axillary. Male inflorescences composed of 3-6 partial inflorescences the branches of which terminate in 3 or more cylindric flower-bearing branches, each bearing pits enclosing a cincinnus of male flowers. Male flowers: sepals 3; corolla 3-lobed; stamens 6. Female inflorescence different to the male; simple or with 1-2 branches, each bearing large connate bracts with a solitary female flower in each axis. Female flowers: sepals 3; petals 3, similar to sepals; staminodes 6; ovary spherical, 3-locular. Fruit rounded, containing 1-3 pyrenes, with stigmatic remains borne at the apex.

Worldwide: 5 species occurring in Africa, Madagascar, India, Indochina, Indonesia, New Guinea and possibly N Australia.

Zimbabwe: 1 taxon.