Palms Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

1. What is the name of the Palm family?

   Answer: Arecaceae (formerly called Palmae). It is a family of monocotyledonous plants with about 2,600 species in 181 genera, distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Brazil has a great diversity of native palms such as the açaí palm, juçara, peach palm and babassu. — Arecaceae is the official name under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The name 'Palmae' is a synonym formerly accepted. Monocot families have trimerous flowers and parallel-veined leaves. APG IV (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group) classifies them in the order Arecales. Brazil is a center of diversity with ~390 native species distributed across various biomes.

2. Present the general characteristics of a palm tree, especially regarding the following parts:
   • Trunk or stem
   • Roots
   • Leaves
   • Inflorescence, or flowers
   • Fruits

   Answer: 1) Trunk or stem (stipe): generally cylindrical, single and unbranched, and may be smooth, ringed or covered by the scars (sheaths) of the leaves that have fallen. It grows in thickness in a limited way and does not form growth rings like common trees. 2) Roots: of the fasciculate type (in a tuft), thin, numerous and superficial, all starting from the base of the trunk. They ensure good anchorage even while being shallow. 3) Leaves: large, grouped in a crown at the top of the stipe, and may be pinnate (feathers, like the coconut palm) or palmate (fan-shaped). Each leaf is attached to the trunk by a sheath. 4) Inflorescence, or flowers: arranged in large, branched clusters (spadices), which emerge among the leaves, usually protected by a bract (spathe). They tend to have small flowers, male and female. 5) Fruits: vary according to the species, generally being drupes (such as coconut, açaí and peach palm) or berries in some palms; many are edible and of great economic value. — The stipe does not grow in diameter like common trees - palms only thicken until they reach their adult diameter, after which they only grow in height. Adventitious roots form a fasciculate crown. Pinnate leaves (coconut palm) have leaflets like a feather; palmate ones (fan palm) look like open hands. Fruits can be edible or ornamental.

3. What happens when the crown of a palm tree is cut off?

   Answer: The palm tree dies. Unlike common trees that resprout from stumps, palms have a single growth point (apical bud) located at the top of the stipe. Without this bud, the palm cannot produce new leaves and definitively dries out, even if the trunk and roots are still alive. — This phenomenon is called 'death by decapitation'. In palms, the apical bud is unique and irreplaceable. That is why heart of palm (juçara, peach palm) is extracted by destroying the plant. Sustainable management requires planting new seedlings. Some multi-stemmed species (such as the date palm) may have other surviving stems - exceptions to the general rule.

4. What happens when the trunk of the palm tree is damaged?

   Answer: Unlike common trees, palms do not heal wounds on the stipe because they have no cambium (the tissue that regenerates bark and wood). The damage is permanent, and can structurally weaken the plant, facilitate the entry of pests and fungi, and in severe cases lead to toppling. — The palm stipe is composed of scattered vascular bundles without regenerative bark. That is why burns, cuts or perforations never close. Opportunistic pests (the coconut crown borer, fungi) take advantage of wounds to invade. Plants with serious damage must be monitored; in some cases it is better to remove them to avoid a dangerous fall.

5. Identify 5 different types of palm trees that grow in the region where you live.

   Answer: 1) Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) - coastal. 2) Açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea) - Amazonian. 3) Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) - cultivated for heart of palm. 4) Babassu (Attalea speciosa) - cerrado/Maranhão. 5) Royal palm (Roystonea oleracea) - urban ornamental. Each one has a characteristic habitat and use. — Brazil has ~390 native palm species. The coconut palm was introduced (of Asian origin). Açaí has become a global superfood. The peach palm is the main source of sustainable heart of palm. Babassu is the basis of the Maranhão economy (the coconut-breaking women). The royal palm is a symbol of Rio (the Botanical Garden): the Palma Mater, the first seedling, was planted by Dom João VI in 1809.

6. Draw and give the names of 8 palm trees that you have identified in nature, clearly showing the formation of the leaves, flowers and the shape of the seeds, as well as the fruit.

   Answer: Scientific drawing requires detailed observation and proportion. Pinnate ones have leaflets like a feather (coconut palm); palmate ones look like hands (fan palm). Inflorescences emerge axillary or terminal. Fruits vary: a large coconut, small black açaí, orange oil palm fruit in a bunch. The field notebook is a botanical tradition - artists such as Margaret Mee documented Brazilian flora.

7. Parts of palm trees are used as food, or to help in preparing food. Mention which parts of the palm tree are edible in your culture, and the method of preparing them.

   Answer: Fruits (coconut, açaí, oil palm, peach palm) are consumed fresh, in juices, pulps or oils. Heart of palm (the shoot of the peach palm or juçara) is boiled and preserved. Nuts (babassu) are cracked and ground. Sap can become sugar (date palm) or wine (Asian species) through traditional fermentation. — Amazonian açaí is de-pulped in a machine and consumed with flour. The oil palm produces oil (dendê oil) by pressing the cooked fruits. Peach palm is cooked and eaten with coffee. Babassu yields oil, milk and flour. Coconut provides water, pulp, milk and oil. The babassu coconut-breaking women of Maranhão preserve an ancient tradition of full use.