Abstract

Palms are an important group among monocots which are of immense service to mankind. They form a vital component of forest and agricultural ecosystems, providing a wide range of economic products necessary for daily life. Besides the common cultivated palms like coconut, arecanut and oil palm, and over a dozen introduced ornamental palms and rattans (canes), there are seven species of wild and semi-wild palms presently found in Kerala State, India. Of these seven species, a few, namely, Borassus flabellifer, Corypha umbraculifera and Caryota urens are widely exploited in the State. They are sometimes cultivated in farmlands and homesteads. The remaining species, Arenga wightii, Bentinckia condapanna, Phoenix humilis and Pinanga dicksonii, are confined to certain remote forest localities and are not known for their utility. This report highlights the botanical, ecological and utilisation aspects of the 7 species of palms, mainly based on field studies and literature surveys, and discusses appropriate conservation measures to be adopted to augment the palm resources of the State