Borasseae

Borassoid palms typically have large, column-like trunks, though several species of Hyphaene have branching or clustered stems. The leaves are large, palmate and often with spines or sharp edges along the petioles. Leaves are retained on young palm stems, later falling to reveal prominent scars. All genera in the Borasseae are dioecious, with separate male and female trees; they are pleonanthic, flowering regularly for many years. Inflorescences are large and pendulous; the male flowers are much smaller than the female and are borne in clusters within catkin-like structures. Fruits contain hard, woody endocarps surrounding the seeds; they range in size from date-sized (Latania) to the massive fruits of Lodoicea, which contain the largest seed in the world. ==Taxonomy==

The Borasseae is one of eight tribes in subfamily Coryphoideae. The tribe is monophyletic and most phylogenetic studies place it as sister to tribe Corypheae, though it is also close to tribe Caryoteae and tribe Chuniophoeniceae. ranges from southern Africa and Madagascar to western India. In subtribe Lataniieae, only the male flowers are sunken in pits and the fruits are sessile, with 1-3 seeds. is the most widespread and is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia and New Guinea. ==Conservation==

Many species in tribe Borasseae are threatened with extinction (36% of total recognized species): • Borassodendron machadonis – Vulnerable • Borassus madagascariensis – Endangered • Latania loddigesii – Endangered • Latania lontaroides – Endangered • Latania verschaffeltii – Endangered • Lodoicea maldivica – Endangered • Medemia argun – Vulnerable • Satranala decussilvae – Endangered ==Gallery==

File:Latania loddigesii 6zz.jpg|Female flowers of Latania loddigesii File:Coco de mer - male.jpg|Male flowers of Lodoicea maldivica File:Coco de Mer male inflorescence.JPG|Male flowers of Lodoicea maldivica emerging from catkin-like inflorescence File:Female nut Coco de Mer and sea foam.jpg|Seed of Lodoicea maldivica, the world's largest seed File:Latania loddigesii seeds.jpg|Seed of Latania are the smallest in the tribe File:Doum Palm.jpg|Unlike most Borasseae, Hyphaene species often have branching stems (this is H. compressa) File:Borassus aethiopum 0033.jpg|All Borasseae have palmate leaves, as with this Borassus aethiopum File:Bismarckia nobilis palm tree growing on Sanibel Island, Florida.jpg|The silvery leaves of Bismarckia nobilis make it a popular palm in cultivation File:Borassus aethiopum 0098.jpg|Borassus fruits are large and fleshy, with 1-3 seeds (this is B. aethiopum) File:Hyphaene petersiana01.jpg|Hyphaene fruits have a dry, cake-like flesh and a single seed (this is H. petersiana File:Lodoicea maldivica.jpg|The massive leaves of Lodoicea maldivica are some of the largest palmate leaves in the family File:Atakora-Borassus aethiopum (3).jpg|Leaf scars on the trunk of Borassus aethiopum are revealed as the leaf sheaths fall off ==References==