A total of 189 genera and 2361 species
(cosmopolitan, mainly warmer regions), with five genera and six species native to southern Africa . An additional 104 genera and
264 species are cultivated in the region.
List from Glen (2000).
List from Glen (2002). The species name is provided in
genera that have only one species cultivated in southern Africa.
Acanthophoenix rubra (Palmiste
rouge) Native to Madagascar. |
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Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (Silver
saw palm)
Native to Florida, central America and Cuba. |
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Acrocomia
Three species cultivated. |
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Actinorhytis calapparia (Pinang penawar)
Native to New Guinea. |
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Adonidia merrillii (True manila
palm, Christmas palm) Native to the Philippines. |
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Aiphanes
Four species cultivated. |
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Allagoptera arenaria
Native to Brazil. |
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Archontophoenix (king palms)
Two species cultivated. |
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Areca Six
species cultivated. |
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Arecastrum romanzoffianum (Queen
palm) Native to subtropical South America. |
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Arenga Nine
species are cultivated in southern Africa, including the
Arenga pinnata (Sugar palm), which is native from India
through to Indonesia. |
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Arikuryroba schizophylla
(Aricury) Native to Brazil. |
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Astrocaryum
Five species cultivated. |
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Beccariophoenix madagascariensis
(Manarano) Native to Madagascar. |
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Bactris (Peach palm genus)
Four species cultivated. Bactris gasipaes
(Pejibaye, Peach palm) is native to the Amazonian region in
South America and is cultivated mainly to harvest the growing stem tips
(apical meristems), which are sold as 'heart of palm' or 'palm hearts'.
These are eaten as a vegetable delicacy, either raw or cooked. You can buy
them fresh or canned. The fruit are also harvested and are a source of flour
and vegetable oil. |
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Bentinckia nicobarica
Native to the Nicobar Islands. |
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Bismarckia nobilis
Native to Madagascar. |
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Brahea
Three species cultivated. |
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Burretiokentia vieillardii
Native to New Caledonia. |
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Butia
Three species cultivated. |
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Calamus (lawyer canes)
Two species cultivated. |
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Calyptrocalyx lauterbachii
Native to New Guinea. |
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Calyptronoma
Two species cultivated. |
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Carpentaria acuminata (North
Australian feather palm) Native to Australia. |
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Caryota (fish-tail palms)
Five species cultivated, the most well-known species being
Caryota urens
(Common fishtail palm). |
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Chamaedorea
Nineteen species cultivated. |
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Chamaerops humilis (European fan
palm)
Native to southern Europe and North Africa. |
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Chambeyronia macrocarpa
Native to New Caledonia. |
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Coccothrinax
Six species cultivated. |
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Cocos
nucifera (Coconut palm) Coconut palms are native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean region
and grow at the top of beaches, at the limit of wave action. They are grown
in large plantations and are used for producing many products, such as coconut
oil (from the white endosperm in the coconut), wine ('toddy'), spirit ('arrack') and coir matting. The white endosperm is used
in cooking and confectionery. |
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Copernicia prunifera (Carnauba
wax palm)
Native to Brazil. |
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Corypha umbraculifera (Talipot
palm) Native to southern India and Sri Lanka. |
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Cyphophoenix nucele (Nucele)
Native to New Caledonia. |
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Cyrtostachys renda (Sealing wax
palm, Maharajah palm) Native to southeast Asia. |
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Daemonorops margaritae (Hong
Kong rattan palm)
Native to Hong Kong and the Philippines. |
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Deckenia nobilis
Native to the Seychelles. |
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Desmoncus orthacanthus (Basket
tie-tie) Indigenous from Mexico to Brazil. |
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Dictyosperma album (Princess palm)
Native to Madagascar, Rodrigues and Mauritius. |
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Drymophloeus
Two species cultivated. |
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Dypsis
Fourteen
species cultivated. |
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Elaeis guineensis (African
oil palm)
Native to tropical Africa. |
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Euterpe edulis (Assai, Jucara
palm) Native to Brazil. |
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Gastrococos crispa (Belly palm,
Cuban grugru palm) Native to Cuba. |
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Gaussia Two
species cultivated. |
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Gulubia macrospadix
Native to the Solomon Islands. |
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Hedyscepe canterburyana
(Umbrella palm) Native to Lord Howe Island. |
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Heterospathe
Three species cultivated. |
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Howea Two
species cultivated. |
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Hydriastele
Two species cultivated. |
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Hyophorbe
Four species cultivated. |
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Jessenia bataua (Jagua palm)
Native to northern South America. |
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Jubaea chilensis (Honey palm)
Native to Chile. |
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Laccospadix australasica
(Australian cluster palm, Atherton palm)
Native to Australia. |
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Latania
Three species cultivated. |
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Licuala
Seven species cultivated. |
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Linospadix
Two species cultivated. |
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Livistona
Twenty-eight species of which 12 species are cultivated in southern Africa.
Some species, have been transferred to Saribus.
|
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Lodoicea maldivica (Coco de mer,
Double coconut) Native to the islands of Praslin and
Curieuse in the Seychelles. Holds the records as the plant with the largest
fruit (42 kg) and largest seed (up to 17.6 kg). These seeds are sometimes
washed up on southern African beaches but do not germinate here. |
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Marojejya
Two species cultivated. |
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Mauritia flexuosa (Buritisol)
Native to tropical South America. |
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Microcoelum
Two species cultivated. |
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Nenga pumila (Djambe ngenge)
Native to Indonesia. |
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Neoveitchia storckii
Native to Fiji. |
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Nephrosperma vanhoutteana
(Latanier millepattes)
Native to the Seychelles. |
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Normanbya normanbyi (Black palm,
Normanby palm) Native to Australia. |
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Nypa fruticans (Nipa palm)
Indigenous from India to Australia. |
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Oenocarpus distichus (Brazilian
feather palm) Native to Brazil. |
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Oncosperma tigillarium (Nibung)
Native to Southeast Asia. |
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Orania
Three species cultivated. |
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Oraniopsis appendiculata
Native to Australia. |
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Orbignya cohune (Cohune palm)
Indigenous from Mexico to Guatemala. |
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Parajubaea cocoides (Palma de
coquito) Native to Ecuador and Colombia. |
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Phoenicophorium borsigianum
Native to the Seychelles. |
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Physokentia dennisii
Native to the Solomon Islands. |
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Phytelephas macrocarpa (Ivory
palm) Native to Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. |
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Pigafetta filaris (Pigafetta
palm)
Native to Indonesia. |
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Pinanga
Seven species cultivated. |
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Polyandrococos caudescens (Buri
palm) Native to Brazil. |
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Prestoea montana
Native to the West Indies. |
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Pritchardia
Six species cultivated. |
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Pseudophoenix
Two species cultivated. |
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Ptychosperma
Eleven species cultivated. |
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Ravenea Two
species cultivated. |
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Reinhardtia
Two species cultivated. |
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Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle
palm)
Native to southern USA |
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Rhapis
Three species cultivated. |
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Rhopaloblaste elegans
Native to the Solomon Islands. |
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Rhopalostylis
Three species cultivated. |
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Roystonea (royal palms)
Six species cultivated. |
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Sabal
Eleven
species cultivated. |
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Salacca zalacca (Salek)
Native to Indonesia. |
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Saribus
Nine species, native to the Philippines, Borneo (Banggi Island only),
Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia. Species
were previously placed under Livistona and Prtchardiopsis but
transferred to Saribus by Bacon & Baker (2011). |
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Serenoa palmetto (Saw palmetto)
Native to southeastern USA. |
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Syagrus Two
species cultivated. |
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Synechanthus warszewiczianus
Indigenous from Costa Rica to Ecuador. |
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Thrinax Four
species cultivated. |
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Trachycarpus
Three species cultivated. |
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Trithrinax
Two species cultivated. |
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Veitchia
Three species cultivated. |
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Verschaffeltia splendida
(Latanier latte)
Native to the Seychelles. |
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Wallichia
Two species cultivated. |
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Washingtonia
Two species cultivated. |
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Wodyetia bifurcata (Foxtail
palm) Native to Australia. |
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Zombia antillarum (Zombi palm)
Native to Haiti |
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