Borassus

Borassus (Palmyra palm) is a genus of five species of fan palms, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and New Guinea. These massive palms can grow up to 30 m high (98 ft) and have robust trunks with distinct leaf scars; in some species the trunk develops a distinct swelling just below the crown, though for unknown reasons. The leaves are fan-shaped, 2–3 m long and with spines along the petiole margins (no spines in B. heineanus). The leaf sheath has a distinct cleft at its base, through which the inflorescences appear; old leaf sheaths are retained on the trunk, but fall away with time. All Borassus palms are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants; male flowers are less than 1 cm long and in semi-circular clusters, sandwiched between leathery bracts in pendulous catkins; female flowers are 3–5 cm wide, globe-shaped and solitary, sitting directly on the surface of the inflorescence axis. The fruits are 15–25 cm wide, roughly spherical and each contain 1-3 large seeds. Depending on species, fruit color varies from black to brown, yellow or orange; the fibrous pulp is aromatic and sweet to taste. Each seed is enclosed in a woody endocarp, which protects it when the fruit is consumed by elephants, monkeys and other frugivores. At germination, the young seedling extends downwards into the soil and only a few leaves are visible above ground; this provides some protection against frequent fires in its savanna habitat; after an indeterminate number of years (the establishment phase), the seedling forms a stem and quickly grows above the savanna vegetation, where it is then less vulnerable to fire.

Palmyra

Palmyra (/ˌpælˈmaɪrə/; Aramaic: ܬܕܡܘܪܬܐ‎ Tedmurtā ; Arabic: تدمر‎ Tadmor) is an ancient Semitic city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period and the city was first documented in the early second millennium BC. Palmyra changed hands on a number of occasions between different empires, before becoming a subject of the Roman Empire in the first century AD.

The city grew wealthy from trade caravans; the Palmyrenes, renowned merchants, established colonies along the Silk Road and operated throughout the Roman Empire. Palmyra's wealth enabled the construction of monumental projects, such as the Great Colonnade, the Temple of Bel and the distinctive tower tombs. The Palmyrenes were a mix of Amorites, Arameans and Arabs. The city's social structure was tribal, and its inhabitants spoke Palmyrene (a dialect of Aramaic); Greek was used for commercial and diplomatic purposes. The culture of Palmyra, influenced by Greco-Roman culture, produced distinctive art and architecture that combined eastern and western traditions. The city's inhabitants worshiped local deities and Mesopotamian and Arab gods.

Palmyra (disambiguation)

Palmyra is the ancient Greek name for the Syrian caravan city of Tadmur. Palmyra may also refer to:

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Tadmur

Tadmur (Arabic: تدمر‎; also spelled Tadmor and Tudmur; in English known as Palmyra) is a city in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate. It is located in an oasis in the middle of the Syrian Desert 215 kilometres (134 mi) northeast of Damascus and 180 kilometres (110 mi) southwest of the Euphrates River. The ruins of ancient Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are situated about 500 metres (¹⁄₃ mi) southwest of the modern city centre. Relatively isolated, the nearest localities include Arak to the east, al-Sukhnah further to the northeast, Tiyas to the west and al-Qaryatayn to the southwest.

Tadmur is the administrative center of the Tadmur District and the Tadmur Subdistrict. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the city had a population of 51,323 and the subdistrict a population of 55,062 in the 2004 census. Tadmur's inhabitants were recorded to be Sunni Muslims in 1838. During the Syrian Civil War, the city's population significantly increased due to the influx of internally-displaced refugees from other parts of the country.