Crude Palm Oil

Plant:
Oil palm can reach 60-80 ft in height in nature, but is rarely more than 20 or30 ft in cultivation. Leaf bases are persistent for years, and prominent leafscars are arranged spirally on the trunk of mature palms where bases havefallen. Leaves are up to 25 ft in length, with leaflets numbering 200-300 perleaf, about 3-4 ft long and 1.5 - 2.0" wide, with entire margins. Leafletscover the distal 2/3 of the leaf, and the lower 1/3 is spined with spinesincreasing in length acropetally.

Flowers
Oil palms are monoecious, producing male and female inflorescences in leafaxils. The inflorescence of both sexes is a compound spadix with 100-200branches, initially enclosed in a spathe or bract that splits 2 weeks prior toanthesis.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Oil palm can reach 60-80 ft in height in nature, but is rarely more than 20 or 30 ft in cultivation. Leaf bases are persistent f