非洲海棗

植物簡介

It is a clustering palm, up to 12 m tall, and often forming thicket. Cut stem produce clear yellowish sticky substance. Leaf sheath is persistent 1 – 2 m below crown. Leaves are arching (2 – 3.5 m long) with reddish-brown fibrous leaf sheath and comprises of 80 – 130 leaflets on each side (28 – 45 cm long and 2.2 – 3.6 cm wide). Leaflets near the base are modified into spines (3 – 9 cm long) and are irregularly arranged. The bracts enveloping the male and female inflorescence are green-yellow and split open 1 or 2 times between margins when mature. The male inflorescence is erect (17 – 30 cm long) and comprises of cream-white male flowers crowded on the stalk. Female inflorescence is erect (about 60 cm long) but slowly becomes pendulous as fruits are developed. Fruit is ovoid, and matures yellow – orange (1.3 – 2 cm long and 0.7 – 1.3 cm wide) with sweet flesh (about 0.1 – 0. 2 cm thick). Seed is obovoid with rounded tip ( 1.2 – 1.4 cm long and 0.5 cm wide).