Andean wax palms | |
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Ceroxylon quindiuense | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Subfamily: | Ceroxyloideae |
Tribe: | Ceroxyleae |
Genus: | Ceroxylon Bonpl. ex DC. |
Type species | |
Ceroxylon alpinum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Ceroxylon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae, native to the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, known as Andean wax palms.[1][2][3]
The species are almost exclusively montane and include the tallest palm (and thus tallest monocotyledon), C. quindiuense, which reaches 61 m (200 ft) in height, and species growing at the highest altitude of the palm family (Arecaceae), at more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in elevation.
The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek κηρός (kērós ("wax") and ξύλον (xúlon, "wood").