Phoenix, Linnaeus (1753:, 1188

Key to the species of Phoenix View in CoL

1. Leaflets concolorous...........................................................................................................................................................................2

- Leaflets discolourous........................................................................................................................................................................10

2. Leaflets very stiff, glaucous, pale when dry.......................................................................................................................................3

- Leaflets flaccid, leathery or moderately stiff, greyish-green when dry..............................................................................................8

3. Solitary palms, acanthophylls conduplicate .......................................................................................................................................4

- Clustering palms, acanthophylls spinescent .......................................................................................................................................6

4. Trunk up to 5.5 m tall ........................................................................................................................................................ P. sylvestris

- Trunk 12–20 m tall .............................................................................................................................................................................5

5. Leaflets up to 120 on each side of rachis, grouped and arranged in several planes........................................................ P. roxburghii

- Leaflets usually more than 200 on each side of rachis, closely and regularly arranged in one plane of orientation .... P. canariensis

6. Stem less than 1 m tall (without in P. acaulis ) ................................................................................................................ P. caespitosa

- Stem more than 25 m tall....................................................................................................................................................................7

7. Fruits with fleshy mesocarp; seeds beaked .................................................................................................................... P. dactylifera

- Fruits with mealy mesocarp; seeds with rounded apices.............................................................................................. P. theophrastii

8. Stemless plant; leaflets 1.5 cm wide with conspicuous marginal veins ............................................................................... P. acaulis

- Stems 4–5 m tall; leaflets 2.5 cm wide with inconspicuous veins .....................................................................................................9

9. Leaflets with continuous strip of tannin filled cells along margin ............................................................... P. loureiroi var. loureiroi

- Leaflets margin and abaxial midrib region without tannin filled cells.......................................................... P. loureiroi var. humilis

10. Stem upto 3 m tall with persistent leaf bases throughout the stem; internodes very short............................................... P. roebelenii

- Stem more than 5 m tall, leaf bases present only at below the crown; internodes elongated ..........................................................11

11. Stem reddish- brown, leaflets more or less irregularly arranged in more than one plane; fruits dorsiventrally flattened ................... ........................................................................................................................................................................................... P. paludosa

- Stem pale to greyish-brown; leaflets closely and regularly arranged in one plane; fruits rounded .................................................12

12. Clustering palms; stem more than 8 m tall; staminate flower petals acute to acuminate.................................................. P. reclinata

- Solitary palms; stem 3–5 m tall; staminate flower petals obtuse .....................................................................................................13

13. Endosperm ruminate............................................................................................................................................................... P. lallan

- Endosperm homogenous .................................................................................................................................................... P. rupicola