Home Page > Picture Archives > Flora of Qatar > Arecaceae > Washingtonia filifera

Washingtonia filifera (Rafarin) H.Wendl. ex de Bary

Synonyms

Brahea dulcis, Brahea filamentosa, Brahea filifera, Livistona filamentosa, Neowashingtonia filamentosa, Neowashingtonia filifera, Pritchardia filamentosa, Pritchardia filifera, Washingtonia filamentosa

Common names

Desert fan palm

Extract from Wikipedia article

Washingtonia filifera, also known as desert fan palm, is a flowering plant in the palm family (Arecaceae), and native to the southwestern U.S. and Baja California. Growing to 15–20 m (49–66 ft) tall by 3–6 m (10–20 ft) broad, it is an evergreen monocot with a tree-like growth habit. It has a sturdy columnar trunk and waxy fan-shaped (palmate) leaves.

AI-generated Description

Washingtonia filifera, also known as the California fan palm or desert fan palm, is a species of palm tree native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. In Qatar, it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its attractive appearance and ability to thrive in hot, arid environments.

In Qatari landscapes, W. filifera is often planted along roadsides, in parks, and around buildings, where it can grow up to 15 meters tall. Its large, fan-shaped leaves and slender trunk make it a popular choice for landscaping. The plant's ability to tolerate high temperatures, drought, and saline soils also makes it well-suited to Qatar's desert climate.

Studies have shown that W. filifera is widely cultivated in Qatar's urban areas, including Doha, where it is used as a street tree and in public gardens. Its popularity as an ornamental plant in Qatar can be attributed to its low maintenance requirements, attractive appearance, and ability to provide shade and aesthetic value in urban landscapes.

Desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in Aspire Park. Doha, Qatar, April 29, 2015
Sand Trail, Doha, Qatar

Fruits of Desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)(?) in Al Shamal City Park. Ruwais, Northern Qatar, August 22, 2015
Al Shamal Rd, Al Ruwais, Qatar

Green fruits of Desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)(?) in Al Shamal City Park. Ruwais, Northern Qatar, August 22, 2015
Al Shamal Rd, Al Ruwais, Qatar

Cluster of fruits of Desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)(?) taken from Al Shamal City Park. Ruwais, Northern Qatar, August 22, 2015

Desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in Aspire Park. Doha, Qatar, November 30, 2015
Aspire Park Running Trail, Doha, Qatar

Leaves of desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in Aspire Park. Doha, Qatar, November 30, 2015
Aspire Park Running Trail, Doha, Qatar

Trunk of fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in a park at Al Intisar Street near a corner with Onaiza. Doha, Qatar, December 1, 2015
Al Istiqlal St, Doha, Qatar

Desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in a park at Al Intisar Street near a corner with Onaiza. Doha, Qatar, February 2, 2016
Al Istiqlal St, Doha, Qatar

Upper area of a trunk of desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in a park at Al Intisar Street near a corner with Onaiza. Doha, Qatar, February 2, 2016
Al Istiqlal St, Doha, Qatar

Bark pattern of desert fan palm (Washingtonia filifera or may be robusta) in a park at Al Intisar Street near a corner with Onaiza. Doha, Qatar, February 2, 2016
Al Istiqlal St, Doha, Qatar

AI-generated summary of observations

Observations of Washingtonia filifera in Qatar show that the plant produces green fruits in August, which turn into brown cluster of fruits later on. The leaves of the palm are fan-shaped and the trunk has a unique bark texture with a pattern of ridges and grooves. The bark structure is also notable, with a rough and fibrous texture. The plant was observed in various locations, including Aspire Park and Al Shamal City Park, and was seen to thrive in the Qatari climate. Photographs taken at different times of day and year show the palm's appearance under different lighting conditions, including morning and afternoon sun. The observations span several months, from April 2015 to April 2016, providing a comprehensive view of the plant's characteristics and growth habits.

Links

• Flora of Qatar.
• Unknown plants or plants without names.
• Duplicate and extra pictures of plants.
• Earlier version of collection of plants.
• Other collections of pictures from Qatar: Lizards of Qatar, Cats of Qatar, Camels of Qatar, and Fish of Qatar.
• Picture archives.
• Home page of A. Sergeev.

Outside links

• Washingtonia filifera, Wikipedia article
• Washingtonia filifera from www.catalogueoflife.org
• Ekhlas M. M. Abdel Bary, The Flora of Qatar, Volume I: The Dicotyledons. Doha 2012
• Flora of Qatar, Volume II: The Monocotyledons
• Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. John Norton et al. 2009
• Qatar eNature. Flora
• Ali Al-Rawi, Flowering plants of Kuwait, 1985
• Plants of Kuwait
• Flora of Saudi Arabia, Al-Qassim Region
• Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia by Rain and Dust at Flickr
• Plants of South-Western Morocco
• Pictures from Qatar (Flickr/cpmkutty)
• Arabian plants by Gary Brown
• Flora of Israel

How the web page was created

• A list of plants with their common names was written using online sources and books.
• Web pages were written by a program consisting of several scripts.
• Full names, synonyms, and classification of plants were found online from catalogueoflife.org and theplantlist.org using a script.
• Pictures of plants were selected from a database using a script.
• This web page was written using a script.

Acknowledgements

QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.