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 the daughter trees that had grown from the previously transplanted cuttings. The master hoped that by bringing the branches and roots of the original tree back together, they would grow good fruit. The master and his servants worked hard in the vineyard. They cut out the branches that brought forth evil fruit and burnt them, and pruned and nourished the trees, and dug the ground. After much hard work, there was no longer any bad fruit in the vineyard. "And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his