Cretan Date Palm
Encyclopedia
Phoenix theophrastii, the Cretan Date Palm, is a palm
native to the eastern Mediterranean, with a very restricted distribution, confined in southern Greece
, some places in Turkey coast and a few sites on Crete
, and other islands.
are pinnate, 2-3 m long, with numerous rigid greyish-green linear leaflets 15-50 cm long on each side of the central rachis. The fruit
is an oval yellowish-brown drupe
1.5 cm long and 1 cm diameter and containing a single large seed
; the fruit pulp is too thin and fibrous to be of agricultural significance and has an acrid taste though the fruits are sometimes eaten by the locals.
Sites on Crete include Vai
in the Lasithi
Prefecture, Ayios Nikitas in Heraklion
Prefecture, and Preveli
gorge and Souda near Plakias, both on the south coasts of Crete
in Rethymnon Prefecture. Trees are also found on Amorgos
island, and the south coast of Anafi
island. Recently, around 10 trees, the only natural stand on the mainland, were found in an ancient palm forest in the Epidaurus
area in Peloponnese
. It has been proposed that, in Ancient Greece
, there were many more, growing from Crete
to Thebes
, and from the Peloponnese
to Delos
. There are also some small stands in southwest Turkey
, especially on the Datça
and Bodrum
Peninsulas in Muğla Province
. Areas forested with Phoenix theophrasti constitute Europe's only palm forests.
The date palm
Theophrastus makes more elongated fruit. The climate is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild wet winters. Mostly in coastal rocky waste lands. Most populations have suffered severe deforestation. Habit much less fertile soils than they should be abandoned of agricultural use, and are easily eroding in leaching process, which prevents the accumulation of nutrients in the soil. The agricultural try to use the forest, especially to be allocated to cash crops and agriculture, and have left soil exhaustion.
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
native to the eastern Mediterranean, with a very restricted distribution, confined in southern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, some places in Turkey coast and a few sites on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, and other islands.
Overview
Phoenix theophrastii grows up to 15 m tall, usually with several slender stems. The leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are pinnate, 2-3 m long, with numerous rigid greyish-green linear leaflets 15-50 cm long on each side of the central rachis. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is an oval yellowish-brown drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
1.5 cm long and 1 cm diameter and containing a single large seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
; the fruit pulp is too thin and fibrous to be of agricultural significance and has an acrid taste though the fruits are sometimes eaten by the locals.
Sites on Crete include Vai
Vai (Crete)
The palm beach of Vai is one of the largest attractions of the Mediterranean island of Crete. It features the largest natural palm forest in Europe, made up of Cretan Date Palm ....
in the Lasithi
Lasithi
Lasithi is the easternmost regional unit on the island of Crete, to the east of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra, Sitia and Neapoli. The mountains include the Dikte to the west and the Sitia Mountains to the east...
Prefecture, Ayios Nikitas in Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
Prefecture, and Preveli
Preveli
Preveli is a location on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete, in the Rethymno Prefecture, notable for its historic monastery.-Preveli Monastery:...
gorge and Souda near Plakias, both on the south coasts of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
in Rethymnon Prefecture. Trees are also found on Amorgos
Amorgos
Amorgos is the easternmost island of the Greek Cyclades island group, and the nearest island to the neighboring Dodecanese island group. Along with several neighboring islets, the largest of which is Nikouria Island, it comprises the municipality of Amorgos, which has a land area of...
island, and the south coast of Anafi
Anafi
Anafi is a Greek island community in the Cyclades. In 2001, it had a population of 273 inhabitants. Its land area is 40.370 km². It lies east of the island of Thíra...
island. Recently, around 10 trees, the only natural stand on the mainland, were found in an ancient palm forest in the Epidaurus
Epidaurus
Epidaurus was a small city in ancient Greece, at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros : Palaia Epidavros and Nea Epidavros. Since 2010 they belong to the new municipality of Epidavros, part of the peripheral unit of Argolis...
area in Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. It has been proposed that, in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, there were many more, growing from Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
to Thebes
Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)
See Thebes, Greece for the modern city built on the ancient ruins.Ancient Thebes was a Boeotian city-state , situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain...
, and from the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
to Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
. There are also some small stands in southwest Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, especially on the Datça
Datça
Datça is a district of Muğla Province in south-west Turkey, and the center town of the district. The center is situated midway through the peninsula which carries the same name as the district and the town .-Geography:...
and Bodrum
Bodrum
Bodrum is a port city in Muğla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located on the southern coast of Bodrum Peninsula, at a point that checks the entry into the Gulf of Gökova. The site was called Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the...
Peninsulas in Muğla Province
Mugla Province
Muğla Province is a province of Turkey, at the country's south-western corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its seat is Muğla, about inland, while some of Turkey's largest holiday resorts, such as Bodrum, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Fethiye, are on the coast in Muğla....
. Areas forested with Phoenix theophrasti constitute Europe's only palm forests.
The date palm
Date Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
Theophrastus makes more elongated fruit. The climate is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild wet winters. Mostly in coastal rocky waste lands. Most populations have suffered severe deforestation. Habit much less fertile soils than they should be abandoned of agricultural use, and are easily eroding in leaching process, which prevents the accumulation of nutrients in the soil. The agricultural try to use the forest, especially to be allocated to cash crops and agriculture, and have left soil exhaustion.