Common Name: Palmyra Palm

General Information

The palmyra palm 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[, ].
The tree 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. It 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[].
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 were at one time used as a paper to record Indian holy texts[, ].

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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