Martha's exotic Backyard in Israel

Caryota mitis, Caryota griffithii, Caryota sobolifera,
Burmese fishtail palm, Clustered fishtail palm, Tufted fishtail palm,
Hebrew: דקל זנב דג, Arabic: Nakhlat câryôtâ
Scientific name:  Caryota mitis Lour.
Synonym name:   Caryota griffithii Becc., Caryota sobolifera Wall. ex Mart.
Common name:  Burmese fishtail palm, Clustered fishtail palm, Tufted fishtail palm
Hebrew name:  דקל זנב דג
Arabic name:   Nakhlat câryôtâ
Family:  Arecaceae, Palm Family, דקליים

Caryota mitis, Caryota griffithii, Caryota sobolifera, Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, tufted fishtail palm, דקל זנב דג, Nakhlat câryôtâ

Life form:  Tree
Stems:  Multi-stemmed clusters, up to 8m tall, 8-20cm in diameter, columnar; stems die after fruiting
Leaves:  Irregular bi-pinnate leaves, fan-shaped and jagged at the tip with many veins, up to 3m long
Inflorescence:   borne among or below leaves, to 85 cm; rachillae 20-60, 25-65 cm; flowers appear in threes, one female flower in between two male ones
Flowers:   Small, separate male and female flowers; male flowers to 10mm; sepals ca. 3mm; petals purple to maroon, 12-15mm; stamens 12-24; female flowers to 5mm; sepals ca. 3mm; petals 4-5mm.
Fruits / pods:   Round green turning blackish-red
Flowering Period:  Summer
Habitat:  Southeast Asia
Distribution:  Native to India, Sri Lanka, to Southeast Asia, introduced to many other tropical countries; escaped cultivation
Chorotype:  India: Andaman Islands

Caryota mitis, Caryota griffithii, Caryota sobolifera, Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, tufted fishtail palm, דקל זנב דג, Nakhlat câryôtâ


Derivation of the botanical name:
Caryota Greek, karyon, a nut (JON)
mitis Latin, mild; gentle; without spines.
griffithii, named after W. Griffith [1810-1845], a British physician who collected plants.
sobolifera, soboles, referring to the underground creeping base of a stem; having creeping rooting stems.
  • The standard author abbreviation Lour. is used to indicate João de Loureiro (1717 – 1791), a Portuguese Jesuit missionary and botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Becc. is used to indicate Odoardo Beccari (1843 – 1920), an Italian naturalist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Wall. is used to indicate Nathaniel Wallich (1786 – 1854), a Danish surgeon and botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Mart. is used to indicate Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794 – 1868), a German botanist and explorer.

Caryota mitis, Caryota griffithii, Caryota sobolifera, Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, tufted fishtail palm, דקל זנב דג, Nakhlat câryôtâ
Flowers appear in threes, one female flower in between two male ones.


Caryota mitis, Caryota griffithii, Caryota sobolifera, Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, tufted fishtail palm, דקל זנב דג, Nakhlat câryôtâ
Irritating fruits.


Caryota mitis, Caryota griffithii, Caryota sobolifera, Burmese fishtail palm, clustered fishtail palm, tufted fishtail palm, דקל זנב דג, Nakhlat câryôtâ