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'Victory' (Ancient Greece), 'Eternal Life' (Ancient Egypt), 'Resilience'
Palms have existed for tens of millions of years; fossil evidence suggests many palm lineages diverged during the Cretaceous and early Cenozoic eras.
In 2006, botanists discovered a unique palm species, and created the genus Tahina, naming the species T. spectabilis, the only organism in the genus. This species lives for decades, flowers only once, then dies, which gives it the name "Suicide Palm".
Palms are monocots, meaning their stems lack the traditional growth rings seen in most trees. Instead, their trunk grows from a single growing point at the top.
Many palms can reach impressive heights, e.g. the Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) can grow over 36 metres tall. Many urban trees in Los Angeles are examples of extremely tall and narrow tree trunks, and are an iconic feature of the city's unique identity.
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) has been cultivated for at least 6,000–7,000 years, especially around Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf, and played a major role in early agriculture. It is depicted as iconography on ancient artefacts and legal records. Archaeological evidence (remains, carvings, and seeds) shows humans ate dates as far back as ~200,000 years ago during the Middle Stone Age!
The Palmeral of Elche in Spain is a UNESCO-recognized historic palm grove dating back centuries, now containing tens of thousands of date palms.
In Yoruba culture (West Africa), the date palm is revered as the "axis mundi" – a bridge between Heaven and Earth. The use of 16 sacred palm nuts, known as Ikin Ifá, is the traditional method of connecting with Ọrunmila, the deity of wisdom, prophecy, and destiny. (Ayodeji Ogunnaike, McGill University)
Historically, palm branches were awarded to winners of athletic contests in Greece and Rome and symbolised Jesus's victory over death in Christianity.
Walking trees
Trees of the Socratea genus, particularly S. exorrhiza, is commonly purported to "walk" across the forest as new roots grow underneath! Many scients have been unable to observe this behaviour, therefore they believe that the phenomenon is simply a local myth, perhaps created to entertain tourists.
However, Peter Vrsansky, Paleologist of the Earth Science Institute at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, believes it is very much a real phenomenon. He claims that, as the soil erodes, the tree generates new roots, which look for solid ground up to 20 metres away. Once settled into the new soil, the tree bends towards the new roots and the old ones lift up into the air. The whole process for the tree to relocate to a new place with better sunlight and more solid ground can take a couple of years. (Peter Vrsansky via BBC News)
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