Oil palms is a genus of palms containing two species. Some specices are native to west and southwest Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, some species are native to tropical Central and South America. Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can grow well over 20 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach between 3 to 5 m long. The flowers are produced in dense clusters; each individual flower is small, with three sepals and three petals. The palm fruit is reddish, about the size of a large plum, and grows in large bunches. Each fruit is made up of an oily, fleshy outer layer (the pericarp), with a single seed (the palm kernel), also rich in oil.