Morphological Characteristics of Date Palm: Qualitative and Quantitative Morphological Characteristics of Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Cultivars

Family Palmae (Arecaceae) is a family of monocotyledons comprising of about 200 genera and 1,500 species. Phoenix L. is one of the genera which contain a dozen species, all native to the tropical or subtropical regions of Africa or Southern Asia. Date palm is diploid (2n=36), perennial tree. Being dioecious in nature, date palm has separate female and male individuals. Female palm trees are cultivated for their nutritive fruits while male trees produce pollens. The present research was conducted at Date Palm Research Station, Jhang, Pakistan, where 32 cultivars of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) were studied for the evaluation of qualitative and quantitative morphological characteristics in order to obtain accurate knowledge and description of the genetic resources. The identification of the most relevant characteristics of date palm was done by descriptors in field surveys during vegetative and reproductive periods. Fruits were taken to Anatomy lab, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan where measurements regarding qualitative and quantitative characteristics were recorded.