Details for: PI 74204, Phoenix dactylifera L., MEDJOOL


Summary Data
Taxonomy:
Phoenix dactylifera L.
Top Name:
MEDJOOL
Origin:
Collected – Morocco
Received by NPGS:
23 Jun 1927
PI Assigned:
1927
Improvement Status:
Cultivated material
Form Received:
Cutting
Life Form:
Perennial
Life Cycle:
Perennial
Availability
FormQuantityNoteInventoryCart
Plant1 countPI 74204 CVARS PL
 
Restrictions
Plant material may be subject to additional regulations
https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/arizona_npb_summary_061124.pdf
  • USA – Arizona (See state regulation: Palm pests)
https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/louisianas_laws_and_regulations_npb_website_april_2023_tp.pdf
  • USA – Louisiana (See state regulations: Lethal Yellowing Quarantine. )
https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/nevada_state_regulations_npb_13december2023.pdf
  • USA – Nevada (See state regulation: Lethal yellowing of palm)
https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/npb_ca_summary_2025_-_grkn_added.pdf
  • USA – California (See state regulation: Lethal yellowing of palm.)
https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/texas_-plant_protection_regulations.pdf
  • USA – Texas (See state regulations: Lethal Bronzing of Palms, Lethal yellowing, red palm mite)
There are no images for this accession.

Core Passport Data
Taxonomy:
Phoenix dactylifera L.
Top Name:
MEDJOOL
Origin:
Collected – Morocco
Received by NPGS:
23 Jun 1927
PI Assigned:
1927
Improvement Status:
Cultivated material
Form Received:
Cutting
Life Form:
Perennial
Life Cycle:
Perennial
Source History
Collected
1929.
Errachidia Province, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco
Comment: Bou Denib. Only one importation of 11 offshoots of 'Medjool' occurred.
Collector(s):
Developed

Morocco
Comment: 'Medjool' is throught to have originated in the Tafilet District of Morocco.
Donated
1936.
California, United States
Comment: Established at US Date Garden, Indio, Riverside County after post-entry quarantine in Nevada.
Donor(s):
1983.
California, United States
Comment: Trees from US Date & Citrus Station, which was closing, were established in the USDA Irrigated Desert Research Station in Brawley, Imperial County.
Donor(s):
Accession Names and Identifiers
MEDJOOL
Type: Unverified name

78-43
Type: Other or unclassified name

Narrative
'Medjool' is a highly esteemed date cultivar. It is semi-dry, of a large size, and orange-yellow, ripening mid-season to reddish brown. The shape is broadly oblong-oval to somewhat ovate, with medium-thick flesh. Fruit quality is excellent, although a large degree of cultural manipulations are necessary for optimal quality. Moisture tolerant. The trees are robust, with short to medium-long leaves borne on a medium-heavy trunk, with high offshoot production. It is the second most important variety in USA and has become very important world-wide due to its production by tissue culture. Unfortunately, it has suffered a large amount of attrition in its native Morocco due to the ravages of the Bayoud disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f sp albidensis. It is not known how RPH 1 differs from the other 'Medjool' accessions at NCGRCD (RPHO 1, RPHO9). Presumably it is the same or very similar due to the fact that there was only one importation of 'Medjool'. However, some growers state that there are distinct lines of 'Medjool' and some suggestion in the literature that this variety is more plastic than most (see Devanand and Chao, 'Genetic variation withn 'Medjool' and 'Deglet Noor' date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars in California detected iby fluorescent-AFLP markers', J Hort Sci Biotechnol, 78:405-409, 2003). However, work by B Rangel at NCGRCD showed less variability than Dwvanand and Chao. (RRK, 10/2006)
Phoenix dactylifera L.
Genus:
Phoenix
Family:
Arecaceae (alt. Palmae)
Subfamily:
Coryphoideae
Tribe:
Phoeniceae
Nomen number:

28046
Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 2:1188. 1753
Verified:
10/14/1999 by ARS Systematic Botanists.
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishdate  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Englishdate palm  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Arabicnakhl  2Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
Frenchdattier  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchpalmier dattier  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanDattelpalme  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguesetamareira  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishpalmera datilera  2Hackett, C. & J. Carolane. 1982. Edible Horticultural Crops Academic Press.
Swedishdadelpalm  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
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