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Phoenix reclinata

Common name:	Senegal Date Palm	Family:	Palmae
Author:	Jacq.	Botanical references:	1
Synonyms:	Phoenix spinosa (Schum.&Thonn.), Phoenix leonensis
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Africa.
Habitat:	Open forests, savannah woodland or low scrub thickets, usually in alluvial soils in positions such as near the banks of streams where there is permanent access to ground water, even if deep down.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	P. pumila[G] P. reclinata var. leonensis[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Senegal Date Palm [B,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	reclinata = reclined;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Arecales. Renamed to Arecaceae -- Palm family
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds	From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
	Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive.

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 6m by 4m . It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Coffee; Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2]. Much relished by the local peoples, they can also be used to make a wine[2].
The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute[2].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a light moist but very well-drained soil in a sheltered position in full sun[231]. Succeeds in dry soils and is also tolerant of poor soils. Plants are tolerant of light shade, though they will not fruit when growing in such a position.
Capable of withstanding light frosts, this plant is worth trying outdoors in the very mildest parts of Britain[166]. Although certainly not hardy when young, this palm is unusually hardy when mature[231].
Palms usually have deep penetrating root systems and generally establish best when planted out at a young stage. However, older plants are substantially more cold tolerant than juvenile plants[231]. In areas at the limit of their cold tolerance, therefore, it is prudent to grow the plants in containers for some years, giving them winter protection, and only planting them into their permanent positions when sheer size dictates[231]. This species can be cultivated successfully for a long time in containers[231]. It can also be transplanted even when very large[231]. Although the thick fleshy roots are easily damaged and/or desiccated, new roots are generally freely produced. It is important to stake the plant very firmly to prevent rock, and also to give it plenty of water until re-established - removing many of the leaves can also help[231].
It takes 5 - 6 years from seed before the plant will have produced a full head of leaves and it will not start to form a trunk until this stage is reached[231].
Plants often form suckers around their base[231].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - probably best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse, otherwise sow the seed as soon as you obtain it. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 months. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Division of suckers.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[231] McMillan-Browse. P. Palms for Cooler Climates. Trebah Enterprises. 1993 ISBN 0 9521952 0 8
An excellent little booklet on the subject, though it does not mention many plant uses.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Phoenix+reclinata
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Phoenix+reclinata

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