Elaeis guineensis 
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Plantae
Magnoliophyta
Liliopsida
Arecales
Arecaceae
- General
- Distribution
- Impact
- Management
- Bibliography
- Contact
Common name
palmeira-dendê (Portuguese, Brazil), nu tamara (English, Cook Islands, (Mangaia)), apwiraiasi (English, Pohnpei), African oil palm (English), palmier à huile d'Afrique (French), dendê (Portuguese, Brazil)
Synonym
Elaeis melanococca , J. Gaertn.
Similar species
Elaeis spp.
Summary
Elaeis guineensis is native to the west African coast from Liberia to Angola. It has been introduced to many islands in the Pacific and to South America at the time of slavery. It is widely cultivated for the oil products obtained from its fruit and seed. However it is now showing potential of being invasive from cultivation in some dry areas of the Pacific and has become very invasive in remnants of Atlantic Forest in Bahia state, Northeast Brazil.
Species Description
\"Trunk stout, solitary, covered by the persistent leaf-bases above, bare below, dark gray-brown and ringed. Leaves large, pinnate, the lower segments as spines on the petiole margin; segments many, irregularly divergent, somewhat fascicled in 4's or 5's; inflorescence large, headlike, with spinose tipped branches borne close to the trunk, among the leaves\" (Stone, 1970. In PIER, 2003).
Lifecycle Stages
First fruits 3-4 years after planting in the field. Bunches ripen 5-6 months after pollination. Seeds normally require temperatures in excess of 35 degrees to germinate. (Duke, 1983)
Uses
Cultivated for oil from the fruits - palm oil and palm kernal oil. The oils are used variously in manufacturing and foodstuff production.E. guineenesis is also often used as a source of Vitamin's A and B in developing countries (Duke, 1983)
Habitat Description
In its native range it occurs wild in riverine forests or in freshwater swamps (Duke, 1983). It cannot thrive in primeval forests and does not regenerate in high secondary forests. Prefers volcanic soils, coastal alluvials and acidic sands (Duke, 1983).
Reproduction
Seeds, (PIER, 2003).
Nutrition
The African oil palm requires fertile and well drained soils (León, 2000).
Pathway
Sometimes grown as an ornamental, as in southern Florida. (Duke, 1983)Introduced and cultivated throughout the tropics. (Duke, 1983)
Principal source: Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk, (PIER)
Compiler: IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
Review: Jean Maley Dept. Pal�oenvironnements & Palynologie Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (CNRS) Universit� de Montpellier-2, Montpellier, France
Dr. Andreas Ebert Coordinator, Plant Genetic Reso
Publication date: 2006-01-26
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Elaeis guineensis. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/speciesname/Elaeis+guineensis on 26-04-2024.
Management Info
Physical. The trees are cut down, (PIER, 2003). The palm however, resprouts after cutting, so there has to be complementary chemical control (Ziller, S., pers.comm., 2004).
