The oil palms (Elaeis guineensis) Fig.1 shows comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. Mature trees are single-stemmed, and grow up to 20m tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach between 3 and 5m long. The flowers are produced in dense clusters; each individual flower is small, with three sepals and three petals. Unlike, the coconut palm, the oil palm does not produce offshoots; propagation is by sowing the seeds. The fruit takes 5–6 months to mature from pollination to maturity; it comprises an oily, fleshy outer layer (the pericarp), with a single seed (kernel), also rich in oil [1].