Borassus
Encyclopedia
Borassus is a genus of six species of fan
palms
, native to tropical regions of Africa
, Asia
and New Guinea
. They are tall palms, capable of growing up to 30 m high. The leaves
are long, fan-shaped, 2 to 3 m in length. The flower
s are small, in densely clustered spikes, followed by large, brown, roundish fruits.
Palmyra palms are economically useful, and widely cultivated in tropical regions. The palmyra palm has long been one of the most important trees of Cambodia
and India
, where it has over 800 uses. The leaves are used for thatching, mat
s, basket
s, fans
, hat
s, umbrella
s, and as writing
material.
In Cambodia, the tree is a national flora symbol/emblem that is seen growing around Angkor Wat
. The sugar palm can live over 100 years.
In ancient Indonesia
and ancient India, the leaves were used as paper to write on, as a kind of papyrus
. In India, leaves of suitable size, shape and texture, and sufficient maturity are chosen. They are then preserved
by boiling in salt water with turmeric
powder. The leaves are then dried; when they are dry enough, the faces of the leaves are polished with pumice
stone. Then they are cut in the proper size. A hole is cut out in one corner. Each leaf will have four pages. The writing is done with a stylus. The writing is of a very cursive and interconnected style. The leaves are then tied up as sheaves.
The stalks are used to make fence
s and to make a strong, wiry fiber suitable for cordage and brushes. The black timber
is hard, heavy, and durable and is highly valued for construction
, such as for wharf pilings.
The tree also yields many types of food. The young plants are cooked as a vegetable
or roasted and pounded to make meal. The fruit
s are eaten roasted or raw, and the young, jellylike seeds are also eaten. A sugary sap
, called toddy
, can be obtained from the young inflorescence, either male or female ones. toddy
is (called "kallu (కల్లు)" in Telugu
. The toddy is fermented to make a beverage called arrack, or it is concentrated to a crude sugar called jaggery
/palm sugar
. It is called Gula Jawa (Java
nese sugar) in Indonesia
and is widely used in the Java
nese cuisine. The roots can be dried to form Odiyal, a hard chewable snack. In addition, the tree sap is taken as a laxative
, and medicinal values have been ascribed to other parts of the plant.
. In Tamil culture it is called karpaha, "celestial tree", and is highly respected because all its parts can be used. The recently germinated seeds form fleshy sprouts below the surface which can be boiled and eaten as a fibrous, nutritious food. The germinated seed's hard shell is also cut open to take out the crunchy kernel which tastes like a water chestnut
but is sweeter. The ripe fibrous outer layer of the fruits is edible after boiling or roasting. When the fruit is tender, the kernel inside the hard shell is an edible jelly that is refreshing and rich in minerals. When the crown of the tree from which the leaves sprout is cut we get an edible cake.
Fan palm
Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms in various genera with leaves that are palmately compound...
palms
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
, native to tropical regions of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. They are tall palms, capable of growing up to 30 m high. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are long, fan-shaped, 2 to 3 m in length. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are small, in densely clustered spikes, followed by large, brown, roundish fruits.
Species
- Borassus aethiopum - African Palmyra Palm (and other names) (tropical Africa)
- Borassus akeassiiBorassus akeassiiBorassus akeassii is a species of Borassus palm from West Africa . It was first described in 2006, having previously confused with Borassus aethiopium and Borassus flabellifer.- References :*...
- Ake Assi's Palmyra Palm (West Africa) - Borassus flabelliferBorassus flabelliferBorassus flabellifer, the Asian Palmyra palm, Toddy palm, Sugar palm, or Cambodian palm, is native to South and Southeast Asia, in the Indomalaya ecozone...
- Asian Palmyra palm/Lontar palm/Doub palm/Sea Coconut (southern Asia and southeast Asia) - Borassus heineanusBorassus heineanusBorassus heineanus is a species of a very large solitary palmate palm, fan palm in the Arecaceae family. Its common name is the New Guinea Palmyra Palm. It is found only in New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss. The palm grow up to 20m tall, with bluish/green deeply cut leaves up tp 3.2m...
- New Guinea Palmyra Palm (New Guinea) - Borassus madagascariensisBorassus madagascariensisBorassus madagascariensis is a species in the palm family Arecales endemic to Madagascar.The palm heart and newly germinated seedlings are edible, and an alcoholic drink is produced from the fruit. -External links:*...
- Madagascar Palmyra Palm (MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
) - Borassus sambiranensisBorassus sambiranensisBorassus sambiranensis is a species of fan palm in the Arecaceae family commonly known as Sambirano Palmyra Palm. It is found wild only in Madagascar, in the Sambirano area where only a few mature individuals survive. It is threatened by habitat loss, often in the form of bush fires.B...
- Sambirano Palmyra Palm (Madagascar)
Cultivation and uses
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where it has over 800 uses. The leaves are used for thatching, mat
Mat
A mat is a generic term for a piece of fabric or flat material, generally placed on a floor or other flat surface, and serving a range of purposes including:* providing a regular or flat surface, such as a mousepad....
s, basket
Basket
A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibres, which can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehair, baleen, or metal wire can be used. Baskets are...
s, fans
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
, hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
s, umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s, and as writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
material.
In Cambodia, the tree is a national flora symbol/emblem that is seen growing around Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
. The sugar palm can live over 100 years.
In ancient Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and ancient India, the leaves were used as paper to write on, as a kind of papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
. In India, leaves of suitable size, shape and texture, and sufficient maturity are chosen. They are then preserved
Preservative
A preservative is a naturally occurring or synthetically produced substance that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, wood, etc. to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes....
by boiling in salt water with turmeric
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
powder. The leaves are then dried; when they are dry enough, the faces of the leaves are polished with pumice
Pumice
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. It can be formed when lava and water are mixed. This unusual formation is due to the simultaneous actions of rapid...
stone. Then they are cut in the proper size. A hole is cut out in one corner. Each leaf will have four pages. The writing is done with a stylus. The writing is of a very cursive and interconnected style. The leaves are then tied up as sheaves.
The stalks are used to make fence
Fence
A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
s and to make a strong, wiry fiber suitable for cordage and brushes. The black timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
is hard, heavy, and durable and is highly valued for construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, such as for wharf pilings.
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
or roasted and pounded to make meal. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are eaten roasted or raw, and the young, jellylike seeds are also eaten. A sugary sap
Plant sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. It transports water and nutrients throughout the plant....
, called toddy
Palm wine
Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
, can be obtained from the young inflorescence, either male or female ones. toddy
Palm wine
Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
is (called "kallu (కల్లు)" in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
. The toddy is fermented to make a beverage called arrack, or it is concentrated to a crude sugar called jaggery
Jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...
/palm sugar
Palm sugar
Palm sugar was originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm, the date palm or sugar date palm . Now it is also made from the sap of the sago, arenga pinnata and coconut palms, and may be sold as "arenga sugar" or "coconut sugar".-Description:It is quickly gaining popularity in the...
. It is called Gula Jawa (Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese sugar) in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and is widely used in the Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese cuisine. The roots can be dried to form Odiyal, a hard chewable snack. In addition, the tree sap is taken as a laxative
Laxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
, and medicinal values have been ascribed to other parts of the plant.
In Tamil culture
The Palmyra tree is the official tree of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. In Tamil culture it is called karpaha, "celestial tree", and is highly respected because all its parts can be used. The recently germinated seeds form fleshy sprouts below the surface which can be boiled and eaten as a fibrous, nutritious food. The germinated seed's hard shell is also cut open to take out the crunchy kernel which tastes like a water chestnut
Water chestnut
Water chestnut may refer to either of two plants :* The Chinese water chestnut , eaten for its crisp corm* The Water caltrop , eaten for its starchy seed...
but is sweeter. The ripe fibrous outer layer of the fruits is edible after boiling or roasting. When the fruit is tender, the kernel inside the hard shell is an edible jelly that is refreshing and rich in minerals. When the crown of the tree from which the leaves sprout is cut we get an edible cake.
External links
- http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Borassus.html -excellent Australian site of multilingual fruit names
- http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Borassus/index.html
- http://www.borassus-project.net