Senegal date palm
Phoenix reclinata
Family: Arecaceae
What it is like
A palm. It can be a stemless suckering bush or have a ring of suckers around the base. It often grows 3-6 m high but can be 10-25 m high. It can also be a many stemmed clump. The old stems hang over then curve upwards near the end. The trunk can be 30 cm across. The leaves are long and hang over. They are feather-shaped and 3-4 m long. There are up to 50 leaflets on each side of the leaf stalk and these are narrow and pointed. The lowermost leaflets are reduced to spines. The flowers are of separate sexes on separate trees. The male and female flowers are borne in long bunches. They are small and cream coloured. The male flowers are cup-shaped and the female flowers are round. The female flowers produce yellow fruit. The fruit are oval and 1-1.5 cm long. The flesh is edible when ripe.
There are 17 Phoenix species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It suits damp spots in tropical and warm places. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. They are often along river banks in low-lying open grassland. It can adapt to a wide range of conditions. In Madagascar it grows from sea level to 3300 m altitude. In Kenya it grows from sea level to 2,600 m altitude. It is salt tolerant. It can grow in arid places. In Melbourne Botanical Gardens. It suits plant hardiness zones 9-11. In Townsville palmetum.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa (country/location of origin), Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mayotte, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal (country/location of origin), Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The sap of the fruit stalk is tapped to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The fruit can be eaten when ripe. The green fruit are immersed in water for a few hours and they then become bright red and their pulp becomes sweet and edible. The end leaf bud is eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are used as a coffee substitute. The seed kernel is used in cereal based preparations.
The fruit are eaten especially by children. It is a commonly used food in West Africa.
Edible parts
Cabbage, fruit, sap, seeds - coffee, palm heart, vegetable, bud
How it is grown
Plants are easily grown from seed. The seed should be cleaned of all flesh. They are then best soaked before planting. They transplant easily. They can also be grown from suckers.
Growth of seedlings in fast. The sap flow increases to the flower stalk just before flowering. This can be tapped. The ripening clusters of fruit can be harvested by cutting. The fruit weigh 0.4 g.
Its other names
Local names
Barn-o, Bedjaca, Belin, Buadia, Chinzu, Co-rosso, Coffee palm, Corossedjambo, Deye, Dikindu, Dinsongo, Domaa, Ekingol, Esasa, Feather palm, Idama, Intsanti, Isundu, Kandjedza, Kanjedza, Kindu, Lilala, Lisundvu, Lukindu, Lusundvu, M'jacai, Makindu, Mandjaca, Mchindu, Medjaca, Meeti, Meexii, Millan, Mkindu, Moxinxa-mokulane, Msundu, Muchindu, Muchindwe, Muchingwi, Mukpetida, Mutshema, Mutshevho, Ntshindo, Olpiroo, Ol-tukai, Omukindo, Omuvare, Otit, Palem korma afrika, Quindo, Saraba, Senel, Serque, Sundu, Tchinzo, Thikerva, Tit, Umukiindo, Wild date palm, Wola, Yebo, Zamba, Zembaba
Synonyms
Phoenix leonensis Lodd; Phoenix pumila Regel; Phoenix senegalensis Van Houtte ex Salomon; Phoenix spinosa Schum. & Thonn.; and others