Palms (Palmae/ Arecaceae) are a natural and ancient group of plants represented by about 212 genera and 2,780 species in the world. Palms are mainly tropical and occur in all habitats from per-humid lowland rainforest to desert and from mangrove swamps to high mountain thickets. This is one of the most economic group of plants producing rattans, coconuts, copra, dates, sago, oil palm and fibres (coir & raffia). Many are beautiful ornamentals. Palms are difficult to work with, poorly collected and intractable to the herbarium methods. Rattans are a much-threatened group of tropical plants and their conservation is very closely linked with their ethno-botanical significance.
Though the palmetum, which was developed over 7 acres of land and had a rich collection of 108 species of palms, rattans and canes was devastated by the super cyclones of October, 1999 and subsequent elephant menace, the Centre is maintaining a collection of 38 species of palms in the botanic garden and nurseries. The important species of palms in Centre’s collection include Hyphne thebaica (branching palm), Latania spp., Arenga, Sabal, Caryota, Calamus, Hyphaene, Raphis Licuala, Livistona, Phoenix, Areca etc. It is proposed to enrich the live collection of palms during the current year and renovate the Palmetum for introduction, conservation, curation and study of palms with emphasis on Indo-Burmese and Indo-Malesian species.