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Phoenix roxburghii: New Palm Species Linked to Hortus Malabaricus

19 August 20251 min read
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGYPhoenix roxburghii:New Palm SpeciesLinked to HortusMalabaricus19 August 2025safalsetu.com

Why in the news

Botanists revisited a palm described in the 17th-century treatise Hortus Malabaricus, which resulted in a new species being named and some existing ones being reclassified.

Key facts

  • Name: Phoenix roxburghii, honouring William Roxburgh.
  • Range: India’s eastern coast, Bangladesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Pakistan.
  • Height: 12-16 metres with a tall single trunk.
  • Other traits: larger leaves and leaflets, musty-smelling staminate flowers, large obovoid orange-yellow fruits.

About palms

  • Family: Arecaceae (Palmae); order: Arecales.
  • Type: monocotyledonous flowering plants.
  • Habit: evergreen; may be shrubs, trees or woody vines (lianas).

Exam angle

  • Naming honour: William Roxburgh, Father of Indian Botany.
  • Old treatise involved: Hortus Malabaricus.

Test yourself

1. Phoenix roxburghii, the new palm species, is named after which botanist?

The notes say it honours William Roxburgh, the Father of Indian Botany.

2. To which plant family do palm trees belong, according to the notes?

Palms belong to Arecaceae (Palmae) in the order Arecales.

3. Which 17th-century treatise led to the discovery of Phoenix roxburghii?

A palm described in Hortus Malabaricus prompted the discovery.

This topic is part of Daily Current Affairs 17 & 18 August 2025 (14 topics).

All topics of the dayDay quizAugust 2025

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