Aqaba, Flora

Aqaba Flora, jordan

	Scientific name: Phoenix dactylifera Family: Arecaceae Common English name: Date Palm Common Arabic name: Nakheel >> more

	Scientific name: Hyphaene thebaica Family: Arecaceae Common English names: African doum palm, gingerbread tree, and Egyptian palm Common Arabic name: Balah Abu Jahl >> more

Scientific name: Phoenix dactylifera Family: Arecaceae Common English name: Date Palm Common Arabic name: Nakheel
		This palm is the national symbol of Saudi Arabia! This palm was represented on coins and monuments by the Carthaginians and used as an ornament in triumph pageants by the Greeks and Romans. The life-giving tree of the North African and Arabian oasis contributes shade and nutritious fruit to many desolate regions as well as building material. Female and male individuals are present. Flowers are born in bunches at the top of the tree. Only the female trees produce fruit, but one male tree can produce enough pollen to pollinate 40-50 female trees (See Traditional Pollination of Date Palm). It is a plant sensitive to the cold; it lives on any kind of soil, provided that it is fertile and well drained. Dates, due to their high sugar content, represent the basic, fundamental food for North Africa, Arabia and Persia's peoples, where hundreds of varieties are grown for commercial purposes. spot

Scientific name: Hyphaene thebaica Family: Arecaceae Common English names: African doum palm, gingerbread tree, and Egyptian palm Common Arabic name: Balah Abu Jahl
		The Legendry Doum Palm! Native to the Nile region in Africa. The ancient Egyptians buried large numbers of this species fruits, which was an important staple food for them in the tombs of their pharaohs. Among all palms, this is on the most easily recognized; it is one of the few that fork or branch. The edible fruits, that are as big as an apple, taste like gingerbread. Inside the fruits is a very sweet juice. The leaves are used for making baskets and the white seeds for buttons (See Palms with development potential). The large seeds germinate easily, but need to be put in a large pot because it has an extensive root system. It is suitable for warm climates and extremely drought tolerant. Wadi Araba is considered the most northern limit in the world for its distribution. It was reported to be widely spread in Jordan during the last century, however it's presence now is limited to only three sites in Aqaba area.