18 



BULLETIN 223^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTURE 





has the spine area shorter than any of the true Deglet Noor measure- 

 ments, while the pinnse are more crowded and have lower percentages 

 of antrorse and retrorse pinnse and higher percentages of introrse 

 and undetermined pinnse, 



There are also a lower percentage of double groups of pinnae and 

 higher percentages of triple and quadruple groups than have been 

 noted in any true Deglet Noor. On the whole it is considerably out- 

 side the recorded range of variation for the Deglet Noor variety, 

 though nearer the type than the average of supposed half bloods. 



It seems to be a good working hypothesis that there is a close cor- 

 relation between the leaf and fruit characters of the date tree. If 

 this be true, we should look for male trees having the leaf characters 

 witlim the range of Deglet Noor variation to give us trees most capa- 

 ble of transmitting Deglet Noor qualities where used as pollinators. 

 Failing in this quest j we must use those coming the nearest to such 

 character. 



So far, no male trees have been found among the Deglet Noor 

 seedHngs which correspond to the best Reed seedling in being nearly 

 true to foUage t\^pe. Mr. Reed's seedling male trees Nos. 1 and 2 

 are trees of a strong Deglet Noor character, but fall considerably 

 short of the type. * However, they have been used as pollinators, and 

 many seeds of Deglet Noor fruit of such pollinations have been sown, 

 but none are old enough to have proved themselves. 





i 



\: 





i 



I 



h 



J 



i 

 } 



I 



Table I, 



Comparison of the average leaf characters of four important varieties of date 



palms. 



Average leaf characters. 



Blade length inches . , 



Spine area: 



I<ength do 



Percentage of blade length 



Total number of pinnse on 

 one side of rachis 



"Distribution: 



Antrorse 



Percentage of total 



Introrse 



Percentage of total 



Retrorse 



Percentage of totaL^^*! 

 Undetermined 



Percentage of totai 



Number of groups of pinnae: 

 In groups of two 



Percentage of total 



In groups of three 



I'ercentage of total 



In groups of four 



Percentage of total 



Thickness of pinnte: 



Inches 



ilillimeters 



Deglet Noor. 





0. 



126 



43 

 35.5 



91 



32 



35+ 

 20 

 22- 

 30 

 33- 

 9 

 10- 



20 



Gi- 

 ft 



27+ 

 4 



12+ 



016-O.022 

 4064-.55SS 



Peglet Noor, 



Reed's 



seedling. 



116 



38 

 33 



98 



35 



36- 

 24 

 24+ 

 32 

 33- 

 7 

 7+ 



22 



67- 



8 



24+ 



3 



9+ 



0. 016-0. 018 

 . 4064-. 4727 



Hayany 



122 



23 

 18 



96 



31 



32+ 



19 



20- 



33 



34+ 



13 



14- 



27 



77+ 



7 



20 

 1 

 3 



0.017-0,020 

 . 4318-. 5080 



Menakher. 



1 



144 



32 

 22 



122 



12 

 32+ 

 19 

 52 

 6 

 16+ 



►. 017-0. 022 

 . 4318-. 5588 



Thoory. 



126 



32 

 25.6 



69 



27 



25 



22+ 



36+ 



58 



16 



47- 



23+ 



35 



21 



29 



31- 



2 



7 



2- 



10+ 





15 



60 



8 



32 



2 



S 



0. 022-0. OJO 

 . 55H8-. 7621 



