Arecaceae

/ˌɛɹɪˈkeɪsiː/ noun

Definition

The scientific family name for all palm trees, including coconut, date, and betel nut palms.

Etymology

Modern Latin scientific name derived from 'areca' (the genus type specimen) + '-aceae' (Latin suffix meaning 'family of').

Kelly Says

Taxonomists created this family name in the 1800s using areca as the reference genus, which is why one tree's name ended up naming 2,600+ species—a whole family carries the identity of one member!

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