Despite the fact that palm species and varieties are endless, there is not even a single plant that identifies better the tropical Americas than the palm.

The di-versity and exhuberance are the characteristics of the tropical vegetation; this influences the way people live, their music, fashion and even the personality. The thick vegetation and abundant trees are a source for life, the grounds for many industries and our valuable shelter for the conservation of the climate that we enjoy. From robust and leafy trees until the timid "sensitive" herbs that grow on their bottom, live in these lands, but perhaps the most elegant of the tropical flora is the palm tree.

Palm Trees and Their Species Palm tree varieties are endless, over 500 species are known in Brazil, others are endemic of southern Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti and Martinique. Palmaceous plants include small shrubs that of ornamental values and varieties, distinguished by their tall sizes and elegance, most of them are ever-green plants, of straight stem, without branches, crowned on the top with large leaves.

Multiple Uses of Palm Trees The different palm species furnish men with many uses: For food. The palmiche –nuts yielded by palm trees as the palma real (royal palm tree), the bellied (barrigona) and the cana–, is fit for feeding pigs, which meat and fat are very cherished in the Caribbean with which their typical dishes are elaborated. The fruits yielded by palm trees as coconuts and dates are highly valued in the elaboration of jams, ice creams, beverages and other delicacies for those with a discerning palate. Coconut oil is very valuable in confectionery. The African palm tree which grows in Brazil, Haiti and Honduras, yields an oil that is refined for the elaboration of confectionery margarine and butter; babasú, cohuna, ouricuri, tucum and murumurú, varieties that grow in Brazil are also producers of oily liquids. Sugar and date palm trees are also two species that produce sugar, though not at an industrial scale. For dwellings. Since remote times, man has used palm trees to build dwellings. The boards that are extracted from their trunks, the yaguas which are the upper part of royal palm treesæthe broadest section of their leavesæthat is used for the walls and roof and the guano or dried leaves which are also used as a material for the roof. Rustic furniture can be built with palm trunks. Multiple Uses. The Mexican ixtle palm tree and the coconut husk yield fibers that are used for the manufacture of brushes, straw mats, light carpets and tapestry, among other uses. These fibers are known by the trade name of piassava o rafia. Jipijapa hats are manufactured with toquilla or bombonaje leaves, a palm tree that grows in Ecuador and in some places of Colombia. The leaves of yarey palm trees are very common in Cuba and are used for the manufacture of hats, baskets, ropes and other articles. The oils extracted from oleaginous palm trees are used in the production of soaps, shampoos, perfumes and other cosmetics. Bullet-Proof Glass and Fuel? Babasú oil palm from Brazil, the most important one from its type in the New World, is also used for the manufacture of bullet-proof glass, explosives, lubricants and fuel for Diesel engines.

Palm Trees and the Art The fruits, leaves and fibers extracted from palms are used in the manufacture of several crafts. Poets and painters have found a source of inspiration in their beauty and elegance. In Cuba where palm tree is regarded as the national tree, José Martí, the Apostle of Cuban Independence, described himself in his Versos Sencillos (Short Poems) as follows: I’m an honest man from where the palm tree grows... Palm Trees, Oh, Delicious Palm Trees... Palm trees like most of our vegetation should be protected of ruthless felling, they help to protect the environment and offer the splendid view of its beauty and elegance. The preservation of our palm trees is a way to preserve the future!