Caryota urens
Encyclopedia
Caryota urens is a species
of flowering plant
in the palm
family from Sri Lanka
, Myanmar
, and India
where they grow in fields and rain-forest clearings. The epithet urens is Latin
for 'stinging' alluding to the chemicals in the fruit. They are commonly called solitary fishtail palm, toddy palm, wine palm, jaggery palm or கூந்தற்பனை (in Tamil)and කිතුල් (in sinhala). According to Monier-Williams, it is called moha-karin ("delusion maker") in Sanskrit. It is one of the Sugar palm
s.
Caryota urens is species is solitary-trunked to 12 metres (39.4 ft) in height and trunk 30 centimetre (0.984251968503937 ft) wide. Widely-spaced leaf-scar rings cover the gray trunks which culminate in a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide, 6 metres (19.7 ft) tall leaf crown. The bipinnate leaves
are triangular in shape, bright to deep green, 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) long, and held on 60 cm long petioles
. The obdeltoid pinnae are 30 cm long with a pointed edge and a jagged edge (hence, jaggery palm).
The 3 metres (9.8 ft)long inflorescences emerge at each leaf node, from top to bottom, producing pendent clusters of white, unisexual flowers. The fruit
matures to a round, 1 cm drupe
, red in color with one seed
. Like all Caryotas, the fruit contains oxalic acid
, a skin and membrane irritant. As these plants are monocarpic
, the completion of the flower and fruiting process results in the death of the tree.
. It is the source of kithul treacle, a liquid jaggery
.
Cultivation
Caryota urens is cultivated as an ornamental tree, and planted in garden
s and parks in tropical and sub-tropical climates. It is also used as a interior and houseplant
when smaller.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the palm
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...
family from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, 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 they grow in fields and rain-forest clearings. The epithet urens is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for 'stinging' alluding to the chemicals in the fruit. They are commonly called solitary fishtail palm, toddy palm, wine palm, jaggery palm or கூந்தற்பனை (in Tamil)and කිතුල් (in sinhala). According to Monier-Williams, it is called moha-karin ("delusion maker") in Sanskrit. It is one of the Sugar palm
Sugar palm
Sugar palm is a common name for several species of palms used to produce sugar.*Arenga pinnata *Borassus flabellifer*Caryota urens*Cocos nucifera...
s.
Description
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
are triangular in shape, bright to deep green, 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) long, and held on 60 cm long petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The obdeltoid pinnae are 30 cm long with a pointed edge and a jagged edge (hence, jaggery palm).
The 3 metres (9.8 ft)long inflorescences emerge at each leaf node, from top to bottom, producing pendent clusters of white, unisexual flowers. 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,...
matures to a round, 1 cm drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
, red in color with one seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
. Like all Caryotas, the fruit contains oxalic acid
Oxalic acid
Oxalic acid is an organic compound with the formula H2C2O4. This colourless solid is a dicarboxylic acid. In terms of acid strength, it is about 3,000 times stronger than acetic acid. Oxalic acid is a reducing agent and its conjugate base, known as oxalate , is a chelating agent for metal cations...
, a skin and membrane irritant. As these plants are monocarpic
Monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower, set seeds and then die. Other terms with the same meaning are hapaxanth and semelparous. The term was first used by Alphonse de Candolle....
, the completion of the flower and fruiting process results in the death of the tree.
Uses
This species is called kithul in Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It is the source of kithul treacle, a liquid 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...
.
Cultivation
Caryota urens is cultivated as an ornamental tree, and planted in garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s and parks in tropical and sub-tropical climates. It is also used as a interior and houseplant
Houseplant
A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes, positive psychological effects, or health reasons such as indoor air purification...
when smaller.