Phoenix theophrasti ancient Greek ‘father of botany,’ had described several types of palms, including one from Crete. Apart from the usually inedible dates and upright fruit clusters, the Cretan species can appear quite similar to the cultivated date ("Phoenix dactylifera"). "Phoenix theophrasti" grows up to 15 m tall, usually with several slender stems. The leaves are pinnate, 2–3 m long, with numerous rigid greyish-green linear leaflets 15–50 cm long on each side of the central rachis. Dead leaves are marcescent, remaining attached to the stem for years after withering. The fruit is an oval yellowish-brown drupe 1.5 cm long and 1 cm
Parable of the Olive Tree original tree that was transplanted into good soil grew to give a mix of good and poor fruit. The master of the vineyard instructed his servant to cut off the branches of this tree that gave poor fruit, and burn them. However, the servant suggested to that master that with further care this tree too might bring forth good fruit. And so the master and his servant worked diligently at nourishing all the trees. After a long time the master and servant returned to the vineyard, and found that all trees, both the original and the transplants, had failed, and