Doum palm

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Doum Palm
• Gingerbread Palm
• Egyptian doum palm
• dum
• Gingerbread Tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Cucifera thebaica
• Chamaeriphes crinita
• Douma thebaica
• Hyphaene tuleyana
• Hyphaene baikieana
• Hyphaene crinita
• Chamaeriphes thebaica
• Hyphaene occidentalis
• Palma thebaica
• Hyphaene nodularia
• Hyphaene santoana
• Hyphaene sinaitica
• Hyphaene togoensis
• Hyphaene cuciphera
• Hyphaene dahomeensis
• Hyphaene dankaliensis
• Corypha thebaica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Arecales and family Arecaceae, it is classified under the genus Hyphaene. Specifically, the species is identified as Hyphaene thebaica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Hyphaene thebaica, exhibits a broad distribution across several distinct regions of the African continent. In Northern Africa, its presence is documented within the countries of Egypt and Libya. Moving toward the western coast, the species is also found throughout West Tropical Africa. Specifically, it can be located in the nations of Benin and Burkina. Additionally, its geographical range extends to include the country of Gambia within the West Tropical African zone.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Hyphaene thebaica is characterized by its presence in specific environmental niches, though its primary habitat is often categorized under a broad or non-specific designation in various ecological surveys. This plant has evolved specialized survival strategies to thrive within its ecosystem, particularly through the implementation of active defense mechanisms. The presence of these biological defenses allows the species to mitigate herbivory and environmental stressors, ensuring its persistence within its native range.

Defense :

yes

Habitat :

-

Life history

The life history of Hyphaene thebaica is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. It functions as a phanerophyte, specifically categorized under both phanerophyte classifications, which indicates that its buds are elevated well above the ground level. This plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that its foliage remains present throughout the year rather than shedding seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Hypaene thebaica is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree, capable of reaching a significant plant height with a mean of approximately 10 m. As a terrestrial species, it grows independently without relying on other organisms as a parasite or functioning as an epiphyte. The plant features an erect shoot orientation and is classified as a self-supporting structure rather than a climber. Its physical dimensions are substantial, with a maximum shoot length reaching up to 2500 cm and a maximum diameter at breast height (DBH) of 30 cm.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

DBH max:

30 cm

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

10 m

Shoot length max:

2500 cm

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Hyphaene thebaica is characterized by a specific metabolic and structural configuration tailored to its environmental interactions. The plant utilizes a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and gas exchange efficiency under typical light and temperature conditions. Structurally, the foliage is notable for the presence of leaf spines, which serve as a physiological defense mechanism against herbivory. In terms of vegetative dimensions, the leaves can reach a substantial maximum length of up to 200 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the uptake of available nitrogen from the soil through its root system rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Leaf length max:

200 cm

Leaf spines :

yes

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Hypaene thebaica is characterized by the development of distinctive fruits that typically exhibit a brown coloration. These fruits possess moderate dimensions, with an average length of 6 cm and an average width of 5 cm. Within these fruits, the seeds vary significantly in size, ranging from a minimum mass of 15 g to a maximum mass of 34.1294 g, resulting in an overall mean seed mass of 22.688233335 g. Regarding the movement of offspring, the plant utilizes a zoochorous dispersal syndrome, relying on animals to facilitate the distribution of its seeds across the environment.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Fruit colour :

brown

Fruit length mean:

6 cm

Fruit width mean:

5 cm

Seed mass max:

34.1294 g

Seed mass mean:

22.688233335 g

Seed mass min:

15 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Hyphaene thebaica has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit.

Fruit

1. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
2. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI

Chemicals

Hyphaene thebaica has 9 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Phenols, Saponins, Tannins, Anthraquinones.

Flavonoids

1. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
2. BMC chemistry

Phenols

1. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
2. BMC chemistry

Saponins

1. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
2. BMC chemistry

Tannins

1. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine
2. BMC chemistry

Anthraquinones

1. BMC chemistry

Carotol

1. BMC chemistry

Eucalyptol

1. BMC chemistry

Glycosides

1. BMC chemistry

Terpenoids

1. BMC chemistry

Medicinal Uses

Hyphaene thebaica has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Aeromonas hydrophila, cancer, hypertension, inflammation, pain.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations