The genus Phoenix corresponds to the translation of the Greek phoinix = palm tree, but also indicates the Greek mythological bird, which is considered to be able to be reborn from its own ashes after death. The specific term theophrasti honours the Greek philosopher and botanist Theophrastus.
| Common name | Crete Island Palm |
| Origin | A palm that is one of only two European species, together with Chamaerops humilis. Classified as a species in 1967, it was once known as the wild form of the date palm. It grows wild along the beaches and rocky shores of the island of Crete and the south-western shores of Turkey. Although the palm was only described in 1967, historical records have recorded Phoenix theophrasti in the distant past. The historian Theophrastus refers to phoînix (palm in Ancient Greek) in his De Historia Plantarum (4th BC). We also find the palm depicted on decorations of Greek ceramics. |
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Description |
Multicauleous, a markedly caespitose species, with pinnate leaves, and with very stiff pointed pinnules, greyish green in colour, petiole armed with strong, sharp yellowish spines. The male flowers, whitish in colour, are on short, branched inflorescences. The female flowers, equally coloured, are arranged on longer panicles. The dates are oblong, yellowish-green in colour and contain a small amount of sugary pulp. The seeds, with rounded tips, have the embryo on the side opposite the groove. The specimens in the Villa Ormond gardens, of both sexes represented, were planted in 2000. |