This unusual palm is the Doum Palm, labeled here as Hyphaene indica. Kew now treats that name as a synonym of Hyphaene dichotoma, the currently accepted botanical name. It belongs to the palm family, Arecaceae, and is native to western and northwestern India and Sri Lanka, where it grows mainly in seasonally dry tropical environments.

The feature that makes this palm especially remarkable is its branching trunk. Most palms grow from a single central point and do not branch in the way ordinary trees do. In the Doum Palm, however, the growing point can divide into two, and each new branch may divide again. This repeated forking creates the species’ distinctive candelabra-like crown.

The scientific name dichotoma refers to that pattern of dividing into two branches. A mature specimen may therefore look almost like several palms joined together on one trunk.

Each branch ends in a crown of large, fan-shaped leaves. The leaf blade is divided into many stiff segments, while the leaf stalks may carry sharp teeth or spines along their edges. This is a palm to examine carefully without reaching into the foliage.

The old leaf bases may remain attached to the trunk for some time, producing a rough, patterned surface. As the palm ages, parts of the trunk may become more exposed and clearly reveal the points where it has forked.

Male and female flowers are generally produced on separate palms. Male plants bear branching clusters of pollen-producing flowers, while female plants develop flowers that can become fruits when pollen is available from a nearby male.

The fruits are rounded or somewhat pear-shaped and develop in hanging clusters. They have a firm outer covering surrounding a hard seed. Related Doum Palms have long histories of local use, with their leaves providing material for weaving and their hard fruits or seeds used for practical and decorative purposes.

This palm is well adapted to heat, intense sunlight and seasonal drought. Its tough fan leaves and sturdy branching form allow it to survive in dry tropical landscapes.

The Doum Palm is therefore unusual not because of spectacular flowers, but because it breaks one of the rules we commonly associate with palms. Instead of a single unbranched trunk supporting one crown, it repeatedly divides and creates several crowns.

When looking at it, the most important feature to notice is the forked structure. It is a palm that builds its crown almost like a branching tree.