Phoenix sylvestris

Phoenix sylvestris
	InWest Bengal,India
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Phoenix
Species:	P. sylvestris
Binomial name
	Phoenix sylvestris; (L.)Roxb.
Synonyms
	Elate sylvestrisL.; Elate versicolorSalisb.;

Phoenix sylvestris(sylvestris- Latin, of the forest) also known assilver date palm,Indian date,sugar date palmorwild date palm,^[2]is aspeciesofflowering plantin thepalmfamily native to southern Pakistan, most of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. It has been introduced to southeastern China, Sri Lanka,Mauritius,Puerto Ricoand theLeeward Islands.^[1]Growing in plains and scrubland up to 1300 m above sea level, thefruitfrom this palm species is used to make wine and jelly. Thesapis tapped and drunk fresh or fermented into toddy. The fresh sap is boiled to make palmjaggeryinWest Bengalstate of India and Bangladesh.

Description

Phoenix sylvestrisranges from 4 to 15 m in height and 40 cm in diameter; not as large as theCanary Island Date Palm,but nearly so, and resembling it. Theleavesare 3 m long, gently recurved, on 1 mpetioleswith acanthophylls near the base. The leaf crown grows to 10 m wide and 7.5 to 10 m tall containing up to 100 leaves. The inflorescence grows to 1 metre with white, unisexual flowers forming to a large, pendent infructescence. The single-seeded fruit ripens to a purple-red colour.^[3]