Phoenix pusilla (pusilla, Latin: tiny or weak), the Ceylon date palm or flour palm,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the palm family, native to southern India and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). They are found in lowlands, ridges and on hills. No taller than 5 m, this species is usually single-stemmed but clumps do occur naturally. At 25 cm in diameter, the trunks are covered with distinct leaf-base scars, forming a 'wicker' pattern. Their distinguishable trunks have made them popular in cultivation. They are drought tolerant and slow-growing.
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Ceylon date palm | |
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A fruiting specimen of P. pusilla at Guindy National Park in Chennai | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Genus: | Phoenix |
Species: | P. pusilla |
Binomial name | |
Phoenix pusilla Roxb. | |
Taxon identifiers |
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