The sheer variety of date cultivars are astounding.
When compared to other palm plants, date palms have a very extravagant variety. The National Center for Palms & Dates(NCPD) reported that there are more than 300 varieties, other sources say up to 600, another said more than 3,000.
In comparison coconuts only have about 80 different cultivars, while açaí (another palm based fruit)has only 2 different cultivars.
The cultivars have not only forced a change in the morphology of the drube but also the flowers, and the overall morphology of the actual palms.
Such variety and diversity amongst palms is unknown. This is a true testament to the cathedral (long term thinking) of the ancestors whilst they planned, tasted, and sought the best attributes in their highly prized and nutritious crop commodity.
This took hundreds and thousands of years of trial and error. It took cooperation from neighbors and family members. It included multigenerational planning and mastery of botany and cultivation a very very intimate understanding of the world in an environment so stressed by natural resources especially water.
According to the International Dates Council Earth is home to more than 200 million date palms in 40 date producing countries in which Saudi Arabia ranks number one in quality and sheer production.
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