Lecture 14 (Palms)

Question 1

What is one of the largest botanical families with over 200 genera and 2600 species?

Answer 1

Arecaceae

Question 2

Common features of Arecaceae

Answer 2

1) One or several trunks have a crown and clusters of flowers (some with thorns all over)
2) Leaves grow from top of trunk
3) Some may have swollen areas at the base or along trunk
4) Shallow root system
5) Green, red, or orange crownshaft
6) Some climbing varieties

Question 3

What species of Arecaceae have the largest seed?

Answer 3

Lodoicea maldivica (40cm/20kilos)

Question 4

What species of Arecaceae have the biggest flower?

Answer 4

Coryphora umbraculifera (18 ft)

Question 5

Coconuts are a ______, not fruit

Answer 5

drupe

Question 6

From the 3 “eyes” of the coconut (embryo/seed), one eye becomes the ______, while the other 2 become ______

Answer 6

palm plant, root

Question 7

What is the one Arecaceae that is the coconut palm?

Answer 7

Coco (skull in Portuguese)

Question 8

Brown coconuts produce the ________, while green coconuts contain the ________

Answer 8

meat, water

Question 9

Copra

Answer 9

1) dried white flesh of coconut
2) Made into cakes
3) Can be fed to livestock
4) Main source of edible fat in Europe in 1860s due to shortage in dairy fat
5) Used in soaps, detergents, cosmetics

Question 10

Heart’s of Palm

Answer 10

1) Millionaire’s salad
2) Made from bud of the growing palm tree
3) Kills the tree