| Phoenix rupicola | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Phoenix |
| Species: | P. rupicola |
| Binomial name | |
| Phoenix rupicola T. Anders. |
|
Phoenix rupicola (rupicola - Latin, inhabitant of rocks) or Cliff Date Palm is a species of flowering plant in the Palm family, native to the mountainous forests of India and Bhutan from 300 to 1200 m, usually occurring on cliffs, hillsides and similar terrain. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The palms have solitary trunks, to 8 m in height and 20 cm in width, usually clean of leaf bases except near the crown. Leaves are 2.5 to 3 m long, 35 cm leaflets, pinnately arranged, on 50 - 60 cm pseudo petioles armed with spines. The spines are much less numerous and less vicious than the other Phoenix species. The fruit is an oblong, yellow to orange drupe, 2 cm long containing a single large seed.