Phoenix (plant) thin layer of fruit pulp. The central soft part of the stem of "P. rupicola, P. acaulis," and "P. humilis" is a rich source of starch. Palms are felled to extract this central ‘pith’ which is dried, powdered, stored and used for preparation of bread by Indian natives. The "P. canariensis" sap is cooked to a sweet, thick syrup. "P. sylvestris" Roxb. is widely used in India as a source of sugar. The sugary sap from some African palms yields country liquor on fermentation (palm wine). While "P. dactylifera" is grown for its edible dates, the Canary Island date palm
The Phoenix and the Turtle his sister, for whom Salusbury himself had written a poem. An alternative is to interpret the Turtle as John Salusbury and the Phoenix as Queen Elizabeth I, which would explain the chastity of the relationship and the implication that their "child" is something mystical rather than physical. Elizabeth was often connected to the phoenix, and she is referred to as the "maiden phoenix" in the play "Henry VIII", partly written by Shakespeare (though the "maiden phoenix" passage is typically attributed to John Fletcher). Two panel portraits attributed to Nicholas Hilliard are known as the "Phoenix" and "Pelican" portraits because of