Phoenix theophrasti Greuter
Synonymy
Flora Treatment
Turland, N. J. 2023: Arecaceae (ed. 1). – In: Flora of Greece 1. – Athens: Hellenic Botanical Society; Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin. https://doi.org/10.3372/fog.v1.arec.ed1
Taxon info
Phoenix theophrasti is one of only two native species of palms in Europe, the other being Chamaerops humilis of the W Mediterranean region. It was known already to Theophrastos, but long believed to be a primitive form of the cultivated date palm, being recognized as an independent species as late as 1967. It grows by sandy beaches and estuaries with a main population of several hundred trees at the “palm beach” of Vai in E Kriti. The small dates have a pleasant, sweet taste. Seeds germinate easily in damp coastal sand, and there is vigorous regeneration in the Vai population. Some additional small groups of trees occur elsewhere in the S Aegean area and in the Datça Peninsula of SW Anatolia.A
A. Dimopoulos, P., Raus, Th., Bergmeier, E., Constantinidis, Th., Iatrou, G., Kokkini, S., Strid, A. & Tzanoudakis, D. 2013: Vascular plants of Greece: An annotated checklist. 31. – Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem; Athens: Hellenic Botanical Society. p. 320
