Canary Island Date Palm

It is reported by Parker from Abbottabad but I have not seen any authentic specimen, except one young plant growing at Karachi.

Phoenix canariensis is widely cultivated, especially in Florida and California. . E. McClintock (1993) reported that Tthis species is naturalized in the San Francisco Bay area, as well as in southern California (E. McClintock 1993).

Solitary stout palm. Trunk columnar, 12-16 m high, 90-140 cm in diameter, covered with large closely-placed leaf scars. Leaves many, large, widely spreading 5-6 m long, forming a dense crown; leaflets numerous, green, shining, more or less regularly arranged or paired along rachis in one plane. Inflorescence elongate. Male flowers small, c. 4 mm long, petals not acuminate; female flowers with calyx almost as long as the petals. Fruit oblong-ellipsoid, yellow to reddish with coarse, fibrous, tasteless, dry flesh, c. 2 cm long, 1.2 cm in diameter.

Stems solitary, erect, to 15 m, diam. 55--70 cm. Fruits ripening from green through orange to reddish purple, ellipsoid, length 24--27 mm, diam. 10--12 mm.

Distribution: Native of canary Islands, introduced elsewhere.

introduced; Calif., Fla.; Europe; Atlantic Islands (native, in the Canary Islands).

Flowering throughout the year.

Volunteer in waste places and disturbed areas; 0--1000m.