Thursday, August 13, 2009

Palm : Borassus flabellifer


Height about : 14 m

Another names : Sugar palm,  Toddy palm, asian palmyra.
Local names :  Akadiru, Lontar, Munjalu, Nungu, Siwalan, Tari , Tal , Thaati  Tnaot..

This plant can live 100 years or more and reach a height of 30 m,. The large trunk resembles that of the coconut and is ringed with leaf scars. Young palmyra palms grow slowly in the beginning but then grow faster. Its growth pattern, large size, and clean habits make it an attractive landscape species.

A sugary sap, called Toddy, can be obtained from the young inflorescence, either male or female ones. Toddy is fermented to make a beverage called arrack, or it is concentrated to a crude sugar called jaggery. It is called Gula Jawa (Javanese sugar) in Indonesia and is widely used in Javanese cuisine. In addition, the tree sap is taken as a laxative, and medicinal values have been ascribed to other parts of the plant. (Wikipedia)