Phoenix Dactylifera

Tall, sometimes suckering palm producing a columnar trunk usually clad with old leaf bases, at least towards the top. Leaves, 4-6m long, are composed of many linear, greyish green leaflets, the lowest ones reduced to spines, arranged in various planes giving a 3-dimensional effect. Bowl-shaped cream flowers appear in long-stalked panicles, 1.5-2m long, in spring or summer. Ellipsoid to cylindrical, edilble, sweet, fleshy, yellow to reddish brown fruit, 2.5-7cm long, are very variable both in texture and flavour.