Date palm Date palm Phoenix dactylifera, commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from the Fertile Crescent region straddling between Egypt and Mesopotamia. The species is widely cultivated across Northern Africa, The Middle East, The Horn of Africa and South Asia, and is naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. "P. dactylifera" is the type species of genus "Phoenix", which contains 12–19 species of wild date palms, and is the major
Charles E. Palm Charles E. Palm Charles Edmund Palm (1911-Feb. 25, 1996) was an entomologist and Dean of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University for 13 years from 1959 to 1972. Palm was born in Austin, Texas, and grew up on a fruit and vegetable farm in northwest Arkansas. He graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas and then earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1935. Palm was an expert in international agricultural development and was a consultant to the Ford Foundation on Mexico's agricultural program. After research showed the harmful ecological effects of chemical pesticides, Palm