Elaeis Elaeis Elaeis () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm "Elaeis guineensis" (the species name "guineensis" referring to its country of origin) is the principal source of palm oil. It is native to west and southwest Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia. The American oil palm "Elaeis oleifera" () is native to tropical Central and South America, and is used locally for oil production. Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can grow well over tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach
Wesson cooking oil Wesson cooking oil Wesson cooking oil is a brand of vegetable oil manufactured in Memphis, Tennessee and sold by ConAgra Foods. Historically, Wesson was cottonseed oil, but as of 2009 the products sold under the Wesson brand are oil mixtures that may include canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil or sunflower oil. Wesson was originally a trademark of the "Southern Oil Company", named after David Wesson (1861–1934), a food chemist at the firm who, in 1899 developed a novel process for deodorizing cottonseed oil, producing the first commercial all-vegetable shortenings from cottonseeds. This new product was marketed as "Snowdrift". The