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
Niebla dactylifera collections be studied, especially of "Niebla" collected in California and the Channel Islands. Additional specimens were studied through loans obtained by the U.S. National Herbarium (Smithsonian Institution) from the University of Colorado at Boulder and from the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. "Niebla dactylifera" was discovered among the borrowed specimens of "Niebla". Niebla dactylifera Niebla dactylifera is a fruticose lichen that grows only on San Nicolas Island in the Channel Islands of California. The epithet, "dactylifera", is in reference to the terminal finger-like branches. "Niebla dactylifera" is recognized by the thallus divided into tubular-prismatic branches that arise from a