Palms

Worldwide, the family Palmae is composed of over 230 genera and about 3000 species. Only a few of these are indigenous to the continental United States, and most of these are restricted to the warmer regions of southern Florida and southern California. However, a large number of exotic species have been imported for ornamental purposes and a few of these have become widely naturalized.

For identification purposes, palm trees can be divided into two major groups: those that have palmate or fan-shaped leaves; and those that have pinnate, or feather-shaped leaves. The palmate-leaved species are characterized by a leaf structure in which all leaf segments arise from a single point, similar to the structure of a human hand. Pinnate leaves are characterized by leaves along each side of a central axis, similar in design to that of a feather.

Photos of the following Palm species are available for viewing:

Cabbage Palm	Manilla Palm
Coconut Palm	Queen Palm
Date Palms	Royal Palm