Pentaclethra
Encyclopedia
Pentaclethra is a genus of flowering plant
s in the legume family, Fabaceae
. It belongs to the sub family Mimosoideae
. Some genus members occur in the Cental American region; for example P. macroloba is the dominant tree in certain seasonal swamp forests in coastal areas of the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests.(C.Michael Hogan. 2008)
name of the tree) comes from its seeds, and has one of the highest concentrations of behenic acid
among natural products. For this reason, it is often used in hair conditioner
s.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the legume family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
. It belongs to the sub family Mimosoideae
Mimosoideae
Mimosoideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae characterized by flowers with small petals and numerous prominent stamens...
. Some genus members occur in the Cental American region; for example P. macroloba is the dominant tree in certain seasonal swamp forests in coastal areas of the Isthmian-Atlantic moist forests.(C.Michael Hogan. 2008)
Pentaclethra macroloba
Pentaclethra macroloba or Oil Tree is native to the wet tropical areas around the north eastern part of South America. Pracaxi oil (Pracaxi being the PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
name of the tree) comes from its seeds, and has one of the highest concentrations of behenic acid
Behenic acid
Behenic acid is a normal carboxylic acid, the saturated fatty acid with formula C21H43COOH. In appearance, it consists of white to cream color crystals or powder with a melting point of 80°C and boiling point of 306°C.-Sources:...
among natural products. For this reason, it is often used in hair conditioner
Hair conditioner
Hair conditioner is a hair care product that alters the texture and appearance of hair.-History:For centuries, natural oils have been used to condition human hair. These natural products are still used today, including essential oils such as tea tree oil and carrier oils such as jojoba oil...
s.