Phoenix sylvestris (L.) Roxb.


Synonym : Elate sylvestris L.
Elate versicolor Salisb.
Bangla Name : Khajur, Khejur. ,Kheju-ba (Marma).
English Name : Wild Date Palm, Date Sugar Plam.
Family : Arecaceae
Disease : Cooling , laxative,gonorrhoea , gleet,nervous debility. , diarrhoea , tonic , pain , cough, fever, and threadworms.
Description : A tall graceful palm, 9-15 m high. Trunk rough from the persistent base of the leafstalks. Crown herispherical. Leaves 3-4.5 m long, pinnate, leaf bases bears few triangular short spines, reaching 10 cm. Pinnules very numerous, densely fascicled, 15-45 cm long, rigid, ensiform, spinous pointed. Fruit orange, 2.5-3.2 cm long, oblong-ellipsoid, scattered on long pendulous similarly coloured spikes.
Distribution : Occurs throughout the country, plenty in the western districts.
Chemical Constituents : Fruits contain ascorbic acid, free amino acids, mainly alanine. In addition they contain sugars, tannins, mucilage, vitamins A, B and D. They also contain salts and iron in an assimilable form. Seeds yield a fatty oil containing principally palmitic, olei
Uses : Sap of the plant is nutritious, cooling and laxative. Central tender part is useful in gonorrhoea and gleet. Root is used in toothache and in nervous debility. Gum is useful in diarrhoea and genito-urinary diseases. Fruit is tonic and restorative. Being a
Habit : Tree