Borassus aethiopum Mart.

Trunk ultimately reaching 20–30 m. tall, swollen at very base (85 cm. diameter), ± 40–50 cm. diameter at breast height, often with pronounced swelling to 80 cm. diameter about 10 m. above the base, at first covered with persistent leaf-bases, these eventually falling to leave a grey surface, marked with annular leaf scars.. Leaves ± 40 in the crown at maturity; leaf base ± 90 cm. long, split longitudinally down the mid-line, eventually also splitting opposite the petiole; petiole to 3.25 m. long by 15 cm. wide above the base, and 3 cm. thick, tapering to 7.5 cm. wide and 3 cm. thick near the lamina insertion, rounded abaxially, flattened or concave adaxially, edged with shiny, black, irregularly erose, sharp protuberances to 1–2 cm. high; adaxial hastula only slightly asymmetrical, ± 1 cm. high; abaxial hastula inconspicuous, ± 3 mm. high; costa short, ± 10 cm. long, the blade hence slightly costapalmate; blade radius ± 180 cm. from hastula to apex, shorter in outer regions; segments 60–80 or more, not all held in the same plane, stiff and only drooping at the tips in age, in length equalling ± half the radius, 5 cm. or more wide, bifid apically for up to 15 cm., with numerous very fine longitudinal veins, distinct lateral veins, and minute distant pale brown scales.. Male inflorescence to ± 1.5 m. long with 3–6 partial inflorescences; peduncle ± 50 cm. long, ± 3 cm. in diameter at base; bracts tubular, to 45 cm. long by 7 cm. wide, coriaceous, finely striate, split to ± 17 cm., distally the first few bracts empty, the upper subtending branches terminating in (1–)3 rachillae; rachillae up to 35 cm. long by 3 cm. in diameter, brownish green, densely covered in ± 8 spirals of imbricate bracts, free portion of bracts about 10 mm. wide by 5 mm. high; cincinni bearing ± 9 flowers, emerging from the pit one at a time.. Male flowers subtended by 2 small bracteoles ± 3 mm. × 1 mm.; calyx to 7mm. long, tubular, with 3 very shallow to deep lobes; receptacle to 7.5 × 1 mm., bearing 3 small rounded somewhat cucullate corolla-lobes ± 2 mm. long; stamens 6; filaments very short bearing anthers ± 2 mm. × 0.5 mm.; pollen yellow.. Female inflorescence ± 1–1.5 m. long, bearing 2–3 empty bracts to 50 cm. long by 7 cm. wide, occasionally branched once or twice; flower bearing portion of axis ± 50–75 cm. long, ± 4–5 cm. in diameter; bracts densely crowded, 3 cm. high by 12 cm. wide, connate laterally and forming pits.. Female flowers solitary, borne with 2 bracteoles, each 2 cm. high by 3 cm. wide; sepals 3, imbricate, ± 1.5 × 2 cm.; petals 3, imbricate, ± 1 × 1.5 cm.; staminodal ring with 6 teeth to 4 mm. high; ovary ± 1 cm. in diameter, tipped with 3 stigmatic areas.. Ripe fruit usually dull orangey brown, somewhat shiny, borne with the much enlarged calyx and corolla; sepals in fruit 6 cm. high by 10 cm. wide; petals in fruit 7–8 cm. high by 12 cm. wide, erose-margined; fruit broadly ovoid, usually flat-topped, shape depending on number of seeds developing and on close-packing in the infructescence, up to 12 cm. high by 14 cm. in diameter or more, obscurely 3-angled; mesocarp up to 1 cm. thick, yellow and fragrant when ripe, with numerous longitudinal fibres embedded in soft pulp; pyrenes up to 3, 10 × 10 × 5 cm., with endocarp ± 7 mm. thick with 2 radially aligned internal longitudinal flanges, the outer to 1 cm. high the inner to 5 mm., penetrating the seed.. Seeds 1 in each pyrene, with hard bony white homogeneous endosperm, almost completely filling the pyrene-cavity except for a small central space; embryo apical, top-shaped, ± 5 mm. long by 4 mm. wide.. Fig.2.

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. It grows in the semi arid and sub humid tropics. It grows in the Sahel. Plants are often spread by elephants after the eat the fruit. It requires good sunlight. It cannot grow in waterlogged soils. It grows from sea level to 1850 m with temperatures of 18°C to 30°C. It is most common is areas with 500-1,200 mm rainfall but also grows in slightly higher rainfall areas. It can grow in arid places and savannah. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

The sap from the fruit stalk makes a pleasant drink. The fruit are eaten either ripe or unripe. The juicy pulp of ripe fruit is added to porridge to improve flavour. The immature seed kernel is eaten. The seed sprouts are eaten cooked. The stems of young seedlings are eaten. The growing point or palm cabbage is edible. (This kills the palm!) The long fleshy "sinker" root from the seed is eaten as a vegetable.

Plants are grown from seed. Seeds germinate in about one month. Seeds can only be stored for a short time before they will not grow. Seed should be sown directly where the palm is to grow as the long taproot makes transplanting difficult. Trees need to be 5 m apart. Seeds germinate quickly if they are well soaked before planting.