The botanical name of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L., is presumably derived from a Phoenician name "phoenix", which means date palm, and "dactylifera" derived from a Greek word "daktulos" meaning a finger. Another source refers this botanical name to the legendary Egyptian bird, "Phoenix", which lived to be 500 years old, and cast itself into a fire from which it rose with renewed growth . This resemblance to the date palm, which can also re-grow after fire damage, makes the bird and the date palm share this name, while "dactylifera" originates from the Hebrew word "dachel" which describes the fruit`s shape .
• Belongs to the Palm family.
• It has a straight trunk that is hard from the outside and soft from the inside.
• There are no branches.
• It grows to the height of 70-100 feet.
• It has feather like leaves that are 10-12 feet long.
• They have narrow pointed leaflets that grow from the top of the trunk.
Date nutritional value:
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• With the present uncertainty in the world food supply and the expected increase in demand, the date palm could be a good source of food of high nutritional value.
• In fact, date fruit is rich in nutrients, and due to its dietetic values it has always been held in high esteem by people. Compared to other fruits and foods (apricot: 520 calories/kg; banana: 970 calories/kg; orange: 480 calories/kg; cooked rice: 1,800 calories/kg; wheat bread: 2,295 calories/kg; meat (without fat): 2,245 calories/kg, dates give more than 3,000 calories per kilogram.
• Dates grow in large bunches ,Honey sweet and fleshy with one hard seed inside it.They grow during the hot summer months from June to August. Green dates first turn to yellow then red and finally to a very deep brown, In the hot, dry climate of the desert where there is hardly any rainfall and great difference between day and night temperatures, Date Palm Trees Grow Easily.
• Date fruit is used for
• Eating
• Making cakes
• Making biscuits and sweets