13-489: See text Borassus ( palmyra palm ) is a genus of five species of fan palms , native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Papua New Guinea . These massive palms can grow up to 30 m (98 ft) high and have robust trunks with distinct leaf scars; in some species, the trunk develops a distinct swelling just below the crown, though for unknown reasons. The leaves are fan-shaped, 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) long, with spines along
26-473: A vegetable or roasted and pounded to make meal. The fruits are eaten roasted or raw, as are the young, jelly-like seeds. A sugary sap , called toddy , can be obtained from the young inflorescence, both male and female, and this is fermented to make a beverage called arrack , or concentrated to produce a crude sugar called jaggery / palm sugar . It is called gula Jawa ( Javanese sugar) in Indonesia and
39-424: A house. It is also used for baskets, mats, hats, and more. The fruit is eaten by many. The fruit is called nungu. This fruit is also used to make sweets. The wood is used for making beds, tables, chairs, cabinets and much more. In ancient times, this plant's bark was used to make pencils to write on banana leaves. The Sri Lankan government has created a separate Palmyra Development Board for the sectoral development and
52-404: Is seen growing around Angkor Wat . Palmyra palms can live for over 100 years. In ancient India, palmyra leaves were used as writing paper , with their parallel veins providing a useful rule. In India, mature leaves of suitable size, shape, and texture were chosen and preserved by boiling in salt water with turmeric powder. Once dry enough, the leaf surfaces were polished with pumice , cut to
65-501: Is widely used in Javanese 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 value has been ascribed to other parts of the plant. The palmyra tree ( பனை மரம் ) is the official tree of Tamil Nadu ; it is highly respected and used by the people. The leaf of the tree is used for fan making. It is also placed for roofs. The leaves are placed on top of
78-558: The petiole margins (no spines in B. heineanus ). The leaf sheath has a distinct cleft at its base, through which the inflorescences appear; old leaf sheaths are retained on the trunk, but fall away with time. All Borassus palms are dioecious , with male and female flowers on separate plants; male flowers are less than 10 mm (0.39 in) long and in semicircular clusters, sandwiched between leathery bracts in pendulous catkins ; female flowers are 30–50 mm (1.2–2.0 in) wide, globe-shaped and solitary, sitting directly on
91-621: The subfamily Coryphoideae , though a few genera in subfamily Calamoideae ( Mauritia , Mauritiella and Lepidocaryum ) also have palmate leaves. Fan palm genera include: Fan palm can also be used as part of the common name of particular genera or species . Among the palms commonly known as fan palms are: The travellers palm ( Ravenala madagascariensis ), Phenakospermum ( P. guyannense ), white bird of paradise ( Strelitzia nicolai ), and New Guinea fan palm ( Cordyline fruticosa ) are sometimes called fan palms, because of their leaves' distinctive shape; however none are members of
104-510: The Indian government has also funded for the research. The project is aimed at reviving the palmyra palm industry in Jaffna district, which has over 3.5 million trees. Fan palm Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms ( Arecaceae ) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed (rather than pinnately compound). Most are members of
117-407: The most important trees of Cambodia and India, where it has over 800 uses. The leaves are used for thatching , mats , baskets , fans , hats , and umbrellas , and as writing material. In Sri Lanka , it is more common in the northern part of the country, where it has many uses including the production of jaggery from the syrup. In Cambodia, the tree is a national floral symbol/emblem that
130-509: The palm family (Arecaceae). Odiyal Odiyal is a hard snack made from palmyra palm tubers ( Palmyra sprouts ). Generally, it is split in two and dried until it gets hard. Odiyal can be prepared in another form, called pulukodiyal ( புழுக்கொடியல் ). Pulukodiyal is prepared by boiling and then drying. It is used to produce Pulukodiyal flour. Odiyal is a main ingredient for some food products such as Odiyal flour, Odiyal chips, Odiyal pittu , Odiyal kool , Palm posha, etc. It
143-431: The proper size and a hole was cut in one corner. Each leaf has four pages and a stylus is used to write; the style is cursive and interconnected. Completed leaves are then tied up as sheaves. The black timber is hard, heavy, and durable and highly valued for construction , especially in structures exposed to water, such as wharves, fences, and boats. The tree yields many types of food. The young plants are cooked as
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#1732783897863156-451: The surface of the inflorescence axis. The fruits are 150–250 mm (5.9–9.8 in) wide and roughly spherical, and each contains one to three large seeds. Depending on the species, fruit colour varies from black to brown, yellow, or orange; the fibrous pulp is aromatic and sweet to taste. Each seed is enclosed in a woody endocarp , which protects it when the fruit is consumed by elephants, monkeys, and other frugivores . At germination ,
169-564: The young seedling extends downwards into the soil and only a few leaves are visible above ground; this provides some protection against frequent fires in its savanna habitat; after an indeterminate number of years (the establishment phase), the seedling forms a stem and quickly grows above the savanna vegetation, where it is then less vulnerable to fire. Palmyra palms are economically useful and widely cultivated, especially in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The palmyra palm has long been one of
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