page_title: Palm tree
section_title: Shapes and flowers
hierarchical_section_title: Palm tree / Shapes and flowers
context_page_description: Palm trees are a botanical family of perennial lianas, shrubs, and trees. They are the only members of the family Arecaceae, which is the only family in the order Arecales. They grow in hot climates.
  Well known palm trees are:
  Date palm
  Coconut palm
  There are about 2600 species of palm trees, most of them living in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates.
  Palms are one of the best known and most widely planted tree families. They have held an important role for humans throughout much of history. Many common products and foods come from palms. They are often used in parks and gardens that are in areas that do not have heavy frosts.
  In the past palms were symbols of victory, peace, and fertility. Today palms are a popular symbol for the tropics and for vacations.
context_section_description: Most palms are a straight, unbranched stem, but sometimes a  branching stem, or even a creeping vine, such as the rattan. They have large evergreen leaves that are either 'fan-leaved' (palmate) or 'feather-leaved' (pinnate) and arranged in a spiral at the top of the trunk. The leaves have a tubular sheath at the base that usually splits open on one side when it is grown. The flowers grow on an inflorescence, a special branch just for carrying the great number of tiny flowers. The flowers are generally small and white, and are star-shaped. The sepals and petals usually number three each. The fruit is usually a single seed surrounded by flesh. The familiar coconut is the seed of a large fruit. Some kinds may contain two or more seeds in each fruit.
caption: This grove of Washingtonia filifera in Palm Canyon, California is growing alongside a stream running through the desert.
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