panama-hat palm
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panama-hat palm
panama-hat palm, perennial herb (Carludovica palmata) growing wild from Central America south to Bolivia. Despite its frondlike leaves it is not a true palm. The leaves are used to weave Panama hats, an industry centered in Ecuador. The plant is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Cyclanthales, family Cyclanthaceae.
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