Common Name: Palmyra Palm

General Information

Borassus flabellifer is a very tall, single-stemmed evergreen palm tree that can eventually reach a height of 30 metres. The unbranched stem can be up to 1 metre wide at the base, narrowing to 40 - 50cm at around 4 metres and thereafter cylindrical; it is topped by a crown of up to 60 large, stiffly projecting fan-shaped-leaves up to 400cm long including the petiole[, , , ].
Almost every part of this species can be used. It is widely exploited in areas where it grows and has a very wide range of applications; indeed, in India it is called the tree with 800 uses[]. It is cultivated in many tropical areas for its fruit, sap and many other items. This is one of the most important of the cultivated palms[], though it is falling out of favour because of the long time taken to bring a crop from seed to maturity (12 years or more)[]. Nowadays it is mainly cultivated in the drier parts of its geographical range, where the sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) and the coconut (Cocos nucifera) cannot compete[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea.

Habitat

Hot, dry, monsoonal areas in both forested and open country, often forming large stands[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The palmyra is a very adaptable palm that can succeed in a wide range of conditions in dry to moist tropical and subtropical climates[]. It grows best at elevations below 800 metres[]. It can survive with as little as 250mm of rain a year, and one month or more where rainfall is below 25mm[], cropping satisfactorily with 500 - 900mm per year[]. It will also grow and crop well with rainfall as high as 5,000mm per year[]. It grows best where temperatures never fall below 10°c[], with an optimum mean annual temperature around 30°c, but it withstands extreme temperatures as high as 45°c and as low as 0°c[].
Plants grow well in full sun, even when small[]. Prefers a sandy soil[], but plants are able to succeed under a wide range of conditions[]. Established plants are quite drought resistant and also survive waterlogging quite well[]. It is difficult to determinie the original habitat of the plant since its distribution is so heavily influenced by human activity. It occurs between sea level and 800 metres, though it is more abundant at low elevations and is particularly common in coastal areas with sandy or alluvial soils and in areas with permanent soil moisture such as flood plains and river valleys. It is commonly grown along the margins of rice paddies[].
The palm starts flowering and fruiting 12 - 20 years after germination, usually in the dry season[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. The immature fruits are pickled[]. The tender flesh of young fruits is cooked in curry[]. The ripe fruit has a yellow edible pulp with a distinctive aroma[]. The mature fruit is soaked in water, after which the wiry fibers are extracted, the yellow pulp mixed with rice starch, this is then folded inside a banana leaf and later steam-cooked[]. The fruit is a globose to subglobose drupe, 15-20 cm in diameter, produced in large clusters on the tree[, ].

A sugar-rich sap is obtained from the inflorescence[]. It is obtained by first tying the developing inflorescence together to prevent it opening, then beating it daily for several days with a wooden mallet. After a few days, a slice is cut daily from the end of the inflorescence and, almost a week later, the sap begins to flow[]. This can continue for several months so long as a fresh slice is removed each day[]. Up to 20 litres of sap can be obtained each day from larger trees[]. The juice can be drunk, or concentrated by evaporation to form a sweet syrup or a solid palm sugar known as jaggery[].

The soft upper 10 metres of the trunk contains some starch, which may be harvested in times of food scarcity[].

Immature, jelly-like seeds[]. The young solid or gelatinous endosperm of the seeds is eaten fresh or in syrup[].

Sprouted seedlings - peeled and eaten raw or cooked[, ]. They can be sun-dried for later use[]. They may be slightly toxic, but are considered a delicacy in some areas[].

A salt is made from the leaves[, ].

Apical bud[, ]. Eating this bud effectively kills the plant since it is unable to produce side branches[].

Inflorescence - cooked. Added to soups and curries[].

Medicinal

Innumerable traditional medicinal uses are known for all parts of the toddy palm[].

The young plant is said to relieve biliousness, dysentery and gonorrhea[].

Young roots are anthelmintic and diuretic[]. A decoction is given in certain respiratory diseases. Dried roots can also be smoked to heal nasal complaints[].

The ash of the flower is taken to relieve heartburn and enlarged spleen and liver[].

The bark decoction, with salt, is used as a mouth wash[].
A charcoal made of the bark serves as a dentifrice[].

Sap from the flower stalk is prized as a tonic, diuretic, stimulant, laxative and anti phlegmatic and amoebicide[]. Sugar made from this sap is said to counteract poisoning and it is prescribed in the treatment of liver disorders[]. When candied, it is a remedy for coughs and various pulmonary complaints[]. Fresh toddy, heated to promote fermentation, is bandaged onto all kinds of ulcers[].

The apical bud, leaf petioles, and dried male flower spikes all have diuretic activity[].

The pulp of the mature fruit relieves dermatitis. It is also useful as an anti-inflammatory and for dropsy and gastric conditions[]. Also has potential immuno-suppressive action. Constituents are: gum, fat and albuminoids[].

Other Uses

The leaves have a wide range of uses, such as thatching for house roots and walls, weaving into baskets, mats and many other items[, , , ]. Thatch made from the leaves is said to last at least 2 years[].
The top young leaves are made into hats, boxes to store rice, baskets, fans, etc[]

A number of different fibres can be obtained from the plant[].
A fibre obtained from the leaves is used to make string, rope, fencing etc[]. The fibres of young leaves can be woven into delicate patterns[].
The fibre obtained from the base of the petioles, or the sheathing leafstalks, is stiff, harsh and wiry. It is used to make brushes etc[].
Petioles are often can be split into fibre, to be used for weaving and matting[].
A fibre is obtained from the inner bark[]. The bark fibre can be used to make strong ropes[].
A fibre is obtained from the pericarp of the fruit[].

The petioles are often used as poles for fencing[].

The dried leaflets have been used as a paper to record Indian holy texts[, ]. The leaves are marked using a hot metal stylus, with the parallel veins of the leaves providing a convenient line upon which to write[].

The lowest 10 metres of the trunk has a hard and strong wood that is heavy, very durable and very resistant to termites, insect borers and decay fungi. It is good for constructing buildings, bridges etc[, ].
The somewhat softer middle part of the stem can be split into boards[].
The whole trunk can be made into a small boat capable of carrying at least three people[].
The wood and leaves are used as fuel[, ]. The wood can be made into charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and sow in containers or in situ. The seed is difficult to germinate, often taking 12 months or more[]. Scarifying it prior to soaking may reduce germination time. When germination occurs, the massive cotyledon grows several metres down into the ground before the roots and leaves appear[]. Seeds should thus be planted in deep containers or into a permanent position in the ground as soon as growth begins to appear[].

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?