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Phoenix pusilla

Accession Count: 1

Common Name: khajuri, Ceylon date palm

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Family Name: Arecaceae

Botanical Name: Phoenix pusilla

Synonyms:

Botanical Synonyms: Phoenix zeylanica

Sub Species:

Variety:

Forma:

Cultivar:

Characteristics: Phoenix pusilla is an upright, stoloniferous, evergreen palm that develops a solitary or clustering form up to 6m in height (1, 2). The unbranching trunk is slender and coarse, thickly covered with persistent, vertically-oriented, reddish-brown leaf-sheaths (1, 3). Irregularly arranged leaflets develop into a spreading crown, each up to 3m long and yellow-green in color, with needle-sharp apices (4, 5). Additionally, P. pusilla possesses a yellow-orange pulvinus in conjunction between leaflets and spined rachises (2, 3). From November to January, pistillate, dioecious flowers will develop on peduncles, yellow to white in color and staminate (2, 1). Flowers will be followed by ovoid, fleshy fruits – initially green, becoming red to purple-black when ripe (2).

Compound: Pho pus

Geographic Origin: India and Sri Lanka

Ecozone Origin: Palearctic

Biome Origin:

Natural History: The genus Phoenix was first referenced by Paul Hermann in 1687 and 1698, the discovered species designated as Indi Hinindi and Indi Mahaindi – small and large, respectively (1). Phoenix pusilla was named by the German botanist Joseph Gaertner in 1788, where it was included within his well-known De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum (6). In the wild, P. pusilla is restricted to Sri Lanka and India, and is commonly known as indi-gaha (1). Its natural distribution includes the dry forests of Kerala, Karnataka, and the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, inhabiting sandy soils, hills, the margins of marshes, and the raised banks along paddy fields, at altitudes up to 700m. (1, 7).

Cultivation Notes: The Ceylon date palm is not well known in cultivation, and as such not much information is available about its growth requirements. However, the species has been reported to be easily grown, salt-tolerant, and adaptable to most soils, although substrate must be well-draining (3, 8). It is necessary to provide full sunlight, and protection from severe frost, as this species is only hardy to USDA Zones 11 to 9b (40°F - 25°F) (9). Propagation is possible through division of offsets and planting of seed, which must be pre-soaked for 24 hours before sowing. For the best results, provide a germination temperature between 21-27°C (69.8-80.6°F) (1).

Ethnobotany: In Sri Lanka, the trunk of P. pusilla produces a source of starch that is consumed during food shortages, and the tender leaves are used in an inexpensive meal called kanji (1). The fruits are also consumed, as they are fleshy, sweet, and possess the flavor of chestnuts (8). Culturally, the leaflets have been woven into baskets, brooms, pouches, hats, containers, and sleeping matts (1), while the split petioles have also been used to create baskets (8). However, the greatest usage of the Ceylon date palm has been as a source of medicine. The fruit is commonly used in natural herbal medicines, as it possesses laxative, cooling, aphrodisiac, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties. In fact, studies have proven the merit in using unripe P. pusilla fruit as a natural treatment for diabetes (10). Root extracts were also found to possess antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which inhibit gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as certain species of fungi, providing further value in medicine (11). Leaves have been used to treat pustular eruptions, a laxative sap can be excreted from stems, and the palm has been used to create a refreshing drink called Sharbat-e-phaalsaa (Unani squash), which is valued as a cardiac tonic and appetizer (1). Other medicinal uses of P. pusilla include as a treatment for bladder stones, fever, dysentery, rectal prolapse, cough, urinary tract infections, cardiac debility, and general weakness (1, 12). At the same time, P. pusilla is a valuable nurse plant in its natural environment, enabling nucleated succession of water-stressed regions by cooling soil up to 50%, and causing up to a 9-fold reduction in soil radiation (13).

Height: 16 - 20 feet

Width: 0 - 5 feet

Growth Rate: Slow Growing

Grow Season:

Flower Season: Fall

Color: Yellow

Function: Accent

Spread: Spreading

Allergen: Non-allergenic

Invasive: Benign

Toxicity: Benign

Hardy: Semi-hardy

Water Use: Low water Use

Citations:

Ayushvedah. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
Adams Gardens Wholesale Nursery. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
Indian Journal of Science and Technology, ResearchGate. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
International Journal of Scientific Research and Reviews. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
Tropicos. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
Rare Palm Seeds. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
Dave’s Garden. Retrieved November 16th, 2020.
The Journal of Phytopharmacology. Retrieved November 17th, 2020.
Semantic Scholar. Retrieved November 17th, 2020.
Flowers of India. Retrieved November 17th, 2020.
AoB Plants, US National Library of Medicine. Retrieved November 17th, 2020.

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