Greening - Tree Labels with QR Codes (161)

Scientific Name : Phoenix sylvestris (L.) Roxb.
Common Name : Wild Date Palm, Sugar Date Palm
Chinese Name : 銀海棗, 林刺葵
Family : ARECACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species

Anecdotes on plants

Origins	India and the neighbouring countries, such as Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
Application	Wild Date Palm is esculent and shows versatile medicinal functions. In India and Indonesia, the locals love to directly drink the sugary sap tapped from the stem of Wild Date Palm or process it into a jaggery or alcoholic beverage. The sugary sap contains rich iron and vitamins (e.g. Vitamin B12) and with high nutritional value; it can also for treating anemia. The fruits can be eaten fresh but are often processed into jellies and jams; they can also serve as a tonic or an analgesic to release pain. In addition, the leaves can relieve eye inflammation while the roots can ameliorate nervous debility. Apart from the medical usage, Wild Date Palm is planted locally for supporting the daily construction needs; the wood can be used for building bridges and piers. Wild Date Palm shows relatively higher resilience to barren and droughts and floods. Coupled with the high ornamental values with dense crown and decent tree form, the palm is widely planted and considered as one of the beloved Phoenix ssp. in Hong Kong.
Meanings of names	The generic name Phoenix comes from the ancient Greek word for a date palm. The specific epithet sylvestris means ‘growing in a forest’. The common name ‘Wild Date Palm’ is given with its comparable appearance to P. dactylifera (Date Palm) while ‘Sugar Date Palm’ is to describe its high sugar content.

Origins

India and the neighbouring countries, such as Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

Application

Wild Date Palm is esculent and shows versatile medicinal functions. In India and Indonesia, the locals love to directly drink the sugary sap tapped from the stem of Wild Date Palm or process it into a jaggery or alcoholic beverage. The sugary sap contains rich iron and vitamins (e.g. Vitamin B12) and with high nutritional value; it can also for treating anemia. The fruits can be eaten fresh but are often processed into jellies and jams; they can also serve as a tonic or an analgesic to release pain.

In addition, the leaves can relieve eye inflammation while the roots can ameliorate nervous debility. Apart from the medical usage, Wild Date Palm is planted locally for supporting the daily construction needs; the wood can be used for building bridges and piers.

Wild Date Palm shows relatively higher resilience to barren and droughts and floods. Coupled with the high ornamental values with dense crown and decent tree form, the palm is widely planted and considered as one of the beloved Phoenix ssp. in Hong Kong.

Meanings of names

The generic name Phoenix comes from the ancient Greek word for a date palm. The specific epithet sylvestris means ‘growing in a forest’. The common name ‘Wild Date Palm’ is given with its comparable appearance to P. dactylifera (Date Palm) while ‘Sugar Date Palm’ is to describe its high sugar content.

Traits for identification

Growing habit	Main stem solitary palm.
Height	To 16 m tall.
Crown	Hemispherical, very dense, with about 100 pinnate leaves.
Stem	Base swollen, stem grey, with persistent and diamond shaped old leaf base.
Leaves	Pinnate, pinnae sword-shaped, alternate or opposite, irregularly fascicled, always 2-4 series arranged in several planes on the rachis. Pinnae glabrous, blue green to greyish green, pinnae at the base modified, spiny.
Flowers	Dioecious. Male inflorescences erect, around 20-30 cm long, prophyll orange-green, similar length to the male inflorescence. Male flowers whitish yellow, petals 3, rarely 4. Female inflorescences erect, much longer than prophyll, flowers subglobuse, yellowish green.
Fruits	Infructescence drooping, drupes obovoid, turning green to orangish yellow when mature.
Flowering period	Unknown
Fruiting period	Unknown

Remarks

Scientific name from other database :
― GBIF : Phoenix sylvestris (L.) Roxb.

Wild Date Palm, Sugar Date Palm

Anecdotes on plants

Traits for identification

Remarks

Reference