Elaeis is a genus of
palms containing two species, called
oil palms. They are used in commercial
agriculture in the production of
palm oil. The African oil palm
Elaeis guineensis (the species name
guineensis referring to its country of origin) is the principal source of palm oil, it is native to west and southwest
Africa, occurring between
Angola and
Gambia. The American oil palm
Elaeis oleifera is native to tropical
Central and
South America, and is used locally for oil production.