Borassus

Borassus
	Palmyra palm ( Borassus flabellifer )
Systematics
Class :	Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
	Monocots
	Commelinids
Order :	Palm- like arecales
Family :	Palm family (Arecaceae)
Genre :	Borassus
Scientific name
	Borassus
	L.

Borassus is a genus of palm that is nativeto Africa and Asia .

features

The representatives are large, tree-shaped, single-stemmed and reinforced fan palms . They are dioecious, separate sexes ( diocesan ) and bloom several times. The trunk is massive and the upper part is covered with dead leaves. These later fall off and leave ring-shaped, wide leaf scars. The leaves have stems with a prickly edge. The blade is costapalmat (the clearly pronounced midrib extends a distance into the leaf blade) and has a hastula on the top and bottom . The fruits are big.

Borassus differs from the closely related genera by the following combination of features: There are numerous male flowers that are in coils of 30 to 70 flowers. There are numerous male flowers bearing inflorescence axes (Rachillae). There are six stamens per flower. Usually three seeds are formed per fruit, these are wider than thick and weakly to deeply lobed. The thick endocarp ( stone core ) is not deeply lobed.

The chromosome number is 2n = 36.

Distribution and locations

The genus is represented in Africa, Madagascar, India, Southeast Asia and in the drier areas of Malesia to New Guinea and Australia. This makes it one of the most widespread palm species. Borassus flabellifer can rise to heights of 500 to 800 m, but is also found on river banks. Most often, however, it grows in deep sand plains near sea level, where it is exposed to wind and sun. Borassus aethiopum grows in open secondary forests and in savannas .

Borassus aethiopum

Systematics

The genus Borassus L. is placed within the family Arecaceae in the subfamily Coryphoideae , Tribus Borasseae and Subtribus Lataniinae. The genus is monophyletic . Their sister group is borassodendron .

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognizes the following species:

Borassus aethiopum Mart. : The homeland is tropical and southern Africa, the Comoros and northwestern Madagascar.

Borassus akeassii Bayton, Ouédr. & Guinko : The home is tropical West and Central Africa.

Palmyra palm ( Borassus flabellifer L. ): The range extends from India to Indonesia, Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands .
Borassus heineanus Becc. : The home is northern New Guinea.
Borassus madagascariensis (Jum. & H.Perrier) Bojer ex Jum. & H.Perrier : The home is western Madagascar.

Type species is Borassus flabellifer L. The name is supposedly derived from borassos , a name for immature inflorescences of the date palms. Why Carl von Linné chose this name is unclear.

use

Borassus flabellifer is one of the most widely used palm species: the wood is used as construction timber, the inflorescences are tapped to produce syrup, sugar and alcohol.

supporting documents

John Dransfield, Natalie W. Uhl, Conny B. Asmussen, William J. Baker, Madeline M. Harley, Carl E. Lewis: Genera Palmarum. The Evolution and Classification of Palms . Second edition, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2008, ISBN 978-1-84246-182-2 , pp. 329-331.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Borassus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved August 4, 2018.

Web links

Commons : Borassus - collection of images, videos and audio files

Borassus on the homepage of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

[WCSP-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Borassus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved August 4, 2018.