Palms are a very diverse set of plants having approximately 2600 species. These fall mainly into 2 leaf types: Pinnate (feather leaf) as in the Coconut and Date Palm, and Palmate (fan leaf) as in Trachycarpus and Washingtonia. There are also a few palms that display Costapalmate which is like an elongated fan with a central midrib, as in Sabal. Most palms exhibit a single or clustered trunk topped with the leaves, and give rise to the stereotyped lollipop ‘Palm Tree’ image.
Areas palms inhabit are almost as diverse as the group of plants itself, and ranges from tropical rain forest, through desert, to temperate climates.
