Phoenix reclinata

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Phoenix (FEH-niks)
reclinata (rek-lih-NAH-tah)
Phoenix reclinata SG.JPG
Southern Califonia. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Phoenix (FEH-niks)
Species:
reclinata (rek-lih-NAH-tah)
Synonyms
Phoenix abyssinica, Phoenix leonensis, Phoenix pumila, Phoenix spinosa
Native Continent
Asia
Asia.gif
Morphology
Habit: Clustering
Leaf type: Pinnate
Height: 30-50ft
Trunk diameter: 4-7in
Culture
Sun exposure: Full
Watering: Regular
Soil type: Non-acidic/ non-alkaline
Survivability index
Common names
Senegal date palm, wild date palm

Habitat and distribution

Angola, Benin, Bermuda, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Central African Republic, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Florida, Gabon, Gambia, The, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Phoenix reclinata occurs throughout tropical and subtropical Africa, northern and southwestern Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Phoenix reclinata is a widely distributed species growing in a range of habitats, often seasonally water-logged or inundated, such as along watercourses, in high rainfall areas, in riverine forest, and even in rainforest areas (although always restricted to areas of sparse canopy). The species can also be found in drier conditions on rocky hillsides, cliffs and grasslands to 3000 m. The fruits of P. reclinata are animal-dispersed: their bright orange colour and sweet, slightly fleshy mesocarp is attractive to birds (parrots) (Schonland 1924), elephants (Corner 1966), lemurs (Petter et al. 1977), mangabey (forest monkeys) (Kinnaird 1992) and humans. (S.C. Barrow. 1998)/Palmweb.

Pasadena, CA. Huntington Gardens. Photo by Geoff Stein, edric.

These palms are native to tropical Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoro Islands, where they are found from sea level to 3000 m, in rain forest clearings, monsoonal forests and rocky mountainsides. They are commonly cultivated in many countries with temperate weather where they freely hybridize with other cultivated Phoenix species.

Description

P. reclinata is a dioecious clustering palm, producing multiple stems from 7.5 to 15 m (22 to 45 feet) in height and 30 cm (12") in width. Leaves are pinnate with a prounced sideways curve, growing 2.5 to 4.5 m 7.5 to 14 feet) in length and 75 cm (30") in width. Leaf color is bright to deep green on 30 cm (12") petioles with long, sharp spines at the base, with 20 to 40 leaves per crown. This species grows edible, oblong fruit, orange in color (when ripe), at 2.5 cm (1") in diameter. While able to tolerate some drought, they are not as drought-tolerant as some of their co-generic cousins, including P. canariensis or dactylifera. They are also tolerant of moderate salt-spray. Editing by edric.

Clustering palm, often thicket-forming. Stem 10 (12) m, erect or oblique, without leaf sheaths to 20 cm in diam., dull brown, with persistent leaf sheaths 1 - 2 m below crown, otherwise becoming smooth, irregularly marked with oblique internode scars, cracked vertically; injured stem exuding clear yellowish gum. Leaves arcuate, about 2 - 3.5 m long; leaf sheath fibrous, reddish-brown; pseudopetiole rounded abaxially, smooth, often channelled adaxially, to 50 cm long; acanthophylls irregularly arranged, often congested proximally, about 10 - 15 on each side of rachis, 3 - 9 cm long; leaflets regularly arranged distally in one plane of orientation but median and proximal leaflets in fascicles of 3 - 5 and often fanned, about 80 - 130 on each side of rachis, 28 - 45 x 2.2- 3.6 cm; leaflet margin minutely crenulate; lamina concolorous, abaxial surface with white scurfy ramenta in midrib region. Staminate inflorescence erect; prophyll green-yellow in bud, strongly 2-keeled, coriaceous, splitting 1 or 2 times between margins, 40 - 60 x 5 - 6 cm; peduncle 10 - 30 x 1.3 cm, not greatly elongating beyond prophyll; rachis 17 - 30 cm; rachillae congestedly arranged in a narrow bush, numerous, 6 - 20 cm long. Staminate flowers creamy-white; calyx cupule 1 mm high; petals with apex acute-acuminate in shape and with jagged margins, 3 (rarely 4), 6 - 7 x 2 - 3 mm. Pistillate inflorescence erect, arching with weight of fruits; prophyll as for staminate inflorescence; peduncle green-yellow turning orange-brown, becoming pendulous on fruit maturity, to 60 - 1.5 cm; rachillae spirally arranged often in irregular horizontal whorls, about 19 - 40 in number, to 6 - 55 cm long. Pistillate flowers usually only one carpel reaching maturity, 3 - 4 mm high. Fruit ovoid-ellipsoid or almost obovoid, ripening yellow to bright orange, 13 - 20 x 7 - 13 mm; mesocarp sweet, scarcely fleshy, about 1 - 2 mm thick. Seed obovoid, with rounded apices, 12 - 14 x 5 - 6 mm; embryo lateral opposite raphe; endosperm homogeneous. (S.C. Barrow. 1998)/Palmweb.

The vegetative polymorphism of P. reclinata, which perhaps relates to ecological variation, has led to recognition of certain extreme phenotypes as distinct species or varieties (e.g., Chevalier 1952). This variation is such that delimitation of infraspecific taxa cannot be upheld by discrete characters. (S.C. Barrow. 1998)/Palmweb.

Culture

USDA cold hardiness zone: 9B

Comments and Curiosities

External Links

References

Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.

Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.

Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.

Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).

S.C. Barrow, A Monograph of Phoenix L. (Palmae: Coryphoideae). A Monograph of Phoenix L. (Palmae: Coryphoideae). Kew Bulletin, Vol. 53, No. 3 (1998), pp. 513-575.


Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

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