The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a species of flowering plant in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit known as dates. The species is widely cultivated across North Africa, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, Australia, South Asia, and the desert regions of southern California in the United States. Phoenix dactylifera is the type species of the genus Phoenix, which contains 12 to 19 species of wild date palms. This focus-stacked photograph shows two mazafati dates grown in Iran, one whole and one halved with its seed removed.Photograph credit: Ivar LeidusRecently featured: Apollo Lunar ModuleSay's phoebeDua LipaArchiveMore featured pictures