Floral structure and organogenesis of the wax palm Ceroxylon ceriferum (Arecaceae; Ceroxyloideae).

Premise Of The Study: Most palm systematists were surprised when molecular evidence pointed to a sister group relationship between the tribe Ceroxyleae and the phytelephantoid palms. The latter comprises three genera of morphological aberrant palms that have previously been considered a subfamily of their own. Here we present the results of a detailed study of the floral structure and development of the wax palm, Ceroxylon ceriferum, which aims at revealing derived traits shared by the sister tribes Ceroxyleae and Phytelepheae.