Anatomical observations regarding the stem of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) used for construction purposes

Phoenix dactylifera L. is a dioecious species, belonging to the monocotyledons (Class: Liliopsida). The date palm is well-known for its fruit production, the dates, which are the reason for the widespread distribution of this tree and for the creation of numerous cultivars with different characteristics. In this study, four date palm cultivars were investigated, using anatomical analysis: Ammari, Deglet, Thoory and Ftimi. The material examined had originally been used for construction purposes and differed in age. The estimated age of the artefacts from which the samples were taken ranges from ten to 100 and 200 years. The results of the analyses have shown that the principal cause of decay for palms are fungi. There is a positive relationship between the age of the sample material and cellular decay, caused by the presence of hyphae. Various reproductive elements, such as spores and conidia, were also abundant. Generally, there were few signs of attack by wood-eating insects. The older wood (100 and 200-year-old) was characterized by a reduction in the parenchymatous matrix surrounding the vascular bundles. As a consequence, the bundles separate one from another, a process which lends old palm "wood" its typical fibrous aspect.