Phoenix pusilla

Ceylon Date Palm
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Phoenix
Species:	P. pusilla
Binomial name
Phoenix pusilla Roxb.

Phoenix pusilla (pusilla, Latin, tiny or weak) or Ceylon Date Palm is a species of flowering plant in the palm family, endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), they are found in lowlands, ridges and hills. No taller than 5 m, this species is usually solitary 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.

References

• Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN 0881925586 / ISBN 978-0881925586 (page 403)