African oil palm is a tree that reaches to the height of 20 meters or more at maturity. The trunk is distinguished by persistent and spirally arranged leaf bases and has a crown of 20 to 40 massive leaves. The root system has primaries and secondaries in the top 140 cm of soil. Leaves are erect, numerous, and reach 3 to 5 meters in adult trees. Leaf stalks are short having a broad base. Leaf-blades have 100 to 160 pairs of long leaflets having prominent midribs tapered to a point and form in groups or singly along the midrib. Male or female inflorescences form on one plant. A single inflorescence has both male and female flowers. An inflorescence arises among leaf bases in large and very dense clusters having innumerable small flowers enclosed in bud stage in two large fibrous bracts that become deciduous. Fruits form in bunches and the average weight of each bunch is 23 kg but may also weigh up to 82 kg. A bunch has ovoid drupes about 4 cm long and 2 cm broad having a pointed apex.
Name
African Oil Palm
Scientific Name
Elaeis guineensis
Native
Tropical rain forest region of West and Central Africa
Common/English Name
African Oil Palm, Oil Palm, Macaw Fat, Palm Oil
Name in Other Languages
Arabic: Nakhlet Ez Zayt; Brazil: Caiaué, Dendê; Burmese: So-Htan, Si-Ohn; Chinese: You Zong; Cook Islands: Nū Tāmara (Maori); Czech: Olejnice Guinejská; Danish: Oliepalme; Dutch: Afrikaansche Oliepalm; Eastonian: Aafrika Õlipalm; Finnish: Öljypalmu; French: Palmier À Huile, Palmier À Huile d’Afrique; German: Afrikanische Ölpalme, Ölpalme; Indonesia: Kalapa Ciung, Kelapa Sawit, Lalpa, Omyak; Italian: Palma Da Olio, Palma Avoira, Palma Oleaginosa Africana; Japanese: Abura Yashi; Khmer: Doong Preeng; Malaysia: Kelapa Sawit; Pohnpeian: Apwiraiasi; Portuguese: Dendê, Dihoho, Dendezeiro, Palmera Dendém, Palmeira Do Azeite, Palmeira Andim, Palmeira Do Dendê; Russian: Maslichnaia Pal’ma, Gvineiskaia, Pal’ma Maslichnaia; Slovak: Oljna Palma; Spanish: Corojo De Guinea, Palmera De Aceite, Palma Africana, Palma Oleaginosa Africana; Swahili: Miwesi, Mchikichi, Mjenga; Swedish: Oljepalm; Thai: Maak Man, Ma Phraao Hua Ling, Paam Namman; Vietnamese: Co Dau, Dua Dau
Plant Size
8-20 m tall
Stem
Erect, cylindrical, unbranched, 22–75 cm in diameter
Elaeis guineensis var. madagascariensis Jum. & H.Perrier
Elaeis guineensis var. microsperma Welw.
Elaeis guineensis var. pisifera A.Chev.
Elaeis guineensis var. repanda A.Chev.
Elaeis guineensis var. rostrata Becc.
Elaeis guineensis var. sempernigra A.Chev.
Elaeis guineensis var. spectabilis A.Chev.
Elaeis macrophylla A.Chev., nom. nud.
Elaeis madagascariensis (Jum. & H.Perrier) Becc.
Elaeis melanococca Gaertn.
Elaeis melanococca var. semicircularis Oerst.
Elaeis nigrescens (A.Chev.) Prain, nom. inval.
Elaeis virescens (A.Chev.) Prain
Palma oleosa Mill.
Palm oil is obtained from fruits and used for making soaps, candles, cosmetics, biofuels, and lubricating greases, and in processing tinplate and coating iron plates. It is also used for manufacturing edible products such as ice cream, margarine, cookies, chocolate confections, and pieces of bread as well as pharmaceuticals.
Plant description
African oil palm is a perennial and armed solitary palm about 8.5 to 30 meters tall, stout, erect, and trunks are ringed. Flowers are monoecious; male and female flowers are found in separate clusters. Crown in dark-green having skirt of dead leaves. The trunk is 30 cm in diameter. Petioles are saw-toothed, fibrous, green, broadened at base, 1.3–2.3 m long, and 12.5– 20 cm wide. Leaves have a pinnate blade, 3.3-5 m long having 100 to 150 pairs of leaflets in four ranks. Fruit is ovoid to oblong about 3.5 cm long and 2 cm wide that ripen to orange-red. Fruit weighs 6 to 20 kg and is made up of outer skin.
Medicinal uses
Use the leaf sap for treating skin affections.
Oil extracted from pulp is emollient and used as an excipient for herbal ointments.
Use it for treating suppurations, swellings of legs and whitlows.
Yellow leaves are used for treating fever and anemia.
It can be used to remove thorns and poison from the body.
Roots are used to treat piles.
Take the root decoction or burnt root powder orally for treating epilepsy.
Mix infructescence with burned ginger and apply as an enema to young children to promote walking at early age.
In South Eastern Nigeria, it is used for treating skin infections and various diseases.
Culinary uses
In Africa, palm wine is obtained by tapping sap from unopened male inflorescences.
The palm cabbage consists of soft tissues of undeveloped leaves around apical bud which is consumed as vegetables.
Palm oil is used for making margarine, bakery fats, vegetable ghee, cooking oil and ice cream.
Unrefined red palm oil is added to soups and sauces in West Africa.
Use palm oil as frying oil for preparing snacks such as plantain and bean cakes.
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