50 ON THE VEGETATION OF MALAYSIA, 



after decays and dies. The inflorescence is terminal ; several 

 spadices rise from the summit of the stem, enveloped in sheaths 

 at their joints, and are alternately branched. The flowers and 

 fruit, generally five to eight inches long, are produced on these 

 branches. They are brown, closely imbricated with broad scariose 

 scales, within which is a quantity of ferruginous flocculent fibre 

 or waddinsf, in which the minute flowers are embedded and com- 

 pletely concealed. Each scale supports two flowers which are 

 hermaphrodite, and scarce larger than a grain of turnip-seed. In 

 habit and character this tree differs much from all palms, and its 

 propagation by radical shoots like the Banana is not observed in 

 any other species. The terminal blossoms and the death of the 

 tree after fructification are other peculiarities. The fruits are 

 retroversely imbricated like the rattans or Calamus. In its young 

 stages the stem is covered with sharp thorns, no doubt to protect 

 the tender tree from destruction, as they fall off subsequently. It 

 grows best in muddy marshes, and will not do well anywhere else. 

 The sago must be gathered before the fruit forms, as then the 

 stem consists of a thin wall enclosing a v/ide mass of pith. This 

 is the flour which requires other preparation before it becomes an 

 article of export. The natives call it Sagu. It is eaten with 

 palm-sugar and forms a dish called Santan, very luscious and 

 nourishing with cocoa-nut milk (the juice of the nut expressed 

 with water, not the contained fluid), but probably too sweet for 

 European palates. The flour is also baked in biscuits which keep 

 well. The fruits of the tree are eaten and easily preserved, 

 30 baskets being no uncommon harvest for one tree, and a basket 

 giving ample nourishment to a small family for a week. Neither 

 fruit nor sago is much used by the natives except in Celebes, and 

 the Philippines and Moluccas. 



It would be useless to enter into detail on the mode of pre- 

 paration, which is described by so many authors. At present the 

 product gives rise to industries in many parts of the Indian 

 Archipelago, particularly Malacca, Sumatra, certain parts of 

 Perak, Selangore, Borneo, &c. In Singapore there is an exten- 

 sive trade in sago, whence it is exported after being bleached and 



