Oil Palm (Pokok Kelapa Sawit)

Elaeis guineensis

Description

Elaeis guineensis is a single-stemmed palm tree growing up to 20 m tall. It has long pinnate leaves reaching up to 5 m. Small flowers are produced in dense clusters at the top of the tree in between the lower leaves. Fruits are the size of small plums and grow in bunches, turning red when ripe. Each bunch of fruits weighs between 5 and 30 kg depending on the age of the palm tree.

Place of origin

West Africa between Angola and Gambia

Ethnobotanical uses

Palm oil is extracted from the flesh of the fruits and from seeds (kernels). It is widely used in the food industry as well as cosmetics. It is the most productive crop producing oil in the World. For every 100 kg of fruit bunches, 22 kg of palm oil and 1.6 kg of palm kernel oil can be extracted. It is mostly produced in Indonesia and Malaysia. The leaves are traditionally used for roofing in farmhouses and it can be used for making brooms as well. The sap is rich in glucose, and it is used to make palm sugar.

IUCN conservation status

Least Concern (LC)