Palms, for identification purposes. can be divided into two major groups: those that have palmate or fan-shaped leaves; and those that have pinnate, or feather-shaped leaves. The palmate-leaved species are characterized by a leaf structure in which all leaf segments arise from a single point, similar to the structure of a human hand. Pinnate leaves are characterized by leaves along each side of a central axis, similar in design to that of a feath