Phoenix paludosa Roxb. 


Unbranched, perennial palm, upto a height of 5 m or more with top foliages and sharp spines in the stem and leaf apex. 
Stem slender, cylindrical, unbranched upto 10.5 cm diam., covered with dark fibrous sheath and long, ppointed base, distinct leaf scars, encircling the stem 
Leaves pinnately compond and rachis spirally arranged on the top of the stem 
Base of the rachis sharp spiny and stem base to mostly covered with spines or fibrous leaf sheaths 
Inflorescence spadix, peduncle branched, spathe 45 cm long, boat shaped, yellow, spongy glabrous, deciduous 
Male flowers sessile, erect, 0.65 cm long and 0.45 cm across. 
Sepals 3, gamosepalous, cup-shaped, glabrous, valvate, stout 
Petals 3, polypetalous, ovate-lanceolate, entire, acute, curved, thick, glabrous, imbricate 
Stamens 6, free, sessile 
Female flowers sessile, erect, 0.5 cm long and 0.35 cm across. 
Sepals 3, gamosepalous, cup shaped, glabrous, valvate, stout 
Petals 3, imbricate, ovate, curved, entire, acute, thick 
Carpels 3, syncarpous, ovary superior, dumbel shaped 
Style 0, stigma 3, short 
Fruit a drupe (Sea-date) shinning, black when ripe. Seeds woody, very hard on maturity 
Germination hypogeal. 
 

Gregarious, bushy, stoloniferous or dwarf stemless palm, upto 4 m high 
Stem base 20 - 25 cm in diam., supported by spongy needel-like, perforated breathing roots 
Leaves forming a crown, 2 - 3.5 m long, imparipinnate with many ensiform segments 
Segments waxy, glabrous, midrib strong, ending into strong sharp spine at apex. 
Few pairs of lower segments modified into sharp spines. 
Inflorescence a spadix 
Spadices thickly coriaceous, simple branched, arising in between leaves 
Spathes 20 - 30 cm long, brownish, enclosing the flower 
Flowers diocious, yellowish-white, small, trimerous 
Stemens 3 (in male flower) carpels 3 (in female flowers) 
Fruit drupeceous, 10-12 mm, oblong or ellipsoid, 1seeded, shining black when ripe. 
  

Economic Importance : The stem is used to build cottages and also used as fire woood.