Family · Monocots
Arecaceae
Palms
Palms: mostly tropical woody plants with unbranched trunks and large fan or feather leaves.
- Accepted species
- 2,539accepted names · Kew WCVP
- Genera
- 185accepted genera · Kew WCVP
- Origin
- ≈50 MaPaleogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
- Centre of diversity
- Asia-Tropicalmost native species · WGSRPD
Open Arecaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›
Plants you might know
- Coconut
- Date palm
- Oil palm
- Rattan
Largest genera
Calamus418 spp.
Licuala149 spp.
Pinanga144 spp.
Chamaedorea108 spp.
Dypsis107 spp.
Syagrus82 spp.
Bactris80 spp.
Geonoma68 spp.
Chrysalidocarpus63 spp.
Coccothrinax62 spp.
Areca45 spp.
Attalea40 spp.
Astrocaryum39 spp.
Hydriastele39 spp.
Heterospathe38 spp.
Aiphanes37 spp.
Iguanura31 spp.
Orania30 spp.
Copernicia29 spp.
Pritchardia29 spp.
Calyptrocalyx28 spp.
Livistona28 spp.
Korthalsia27 spp.
Arenga26 spp.
Butia25 spp.
Desmoncus24 spp.
Ptychosperma24 spp.
Ravenea23 spp.
Salacca23 spp.
Raphia22 spp.
Wettinia22 spp.
Lanonia20 spp.
Sabal19 spp.
Calyptrogyne18 spp.
Basselinia16 spp.
Caryota15 spp.
Phoenix15 spp.
Plectocomia14 spp.
Ceroxylon13 spp.
Balaka11 spp.
Brahea11 spp.
Clinostigma11 spp.
Eremospatha11 spp.
Rhapis11 spp.
Veitchia11 spp.
Cryosophila10 spp.
Oenocarpus10 spp.
Prestoea10 spp.
Roystonea10 spp.
Saribus10 spp.
Trachycarpus10 spp.
Vonitra10 spp.
Chambeyronia9 spp.
Acrocomia8 spp.
Euterpe8 spp.
Hyphaene8 spp.
Pholidostachys8 spp.
Cyrtostachys7 spp.
Laccosperma7 spp.
Physokentia7 spp.
The 125 smaller genera are in the interactive tree.
Where it grows
- Asia-Tropical1,177
- Southern America803
- Africa303
- Pacific131
- Northern America104
- Asia-Temperate85
- Australasia59
- Europe2
Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.
Related families
Arecaceae sits in the order Arecales.