140 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE AXD PRODUCTIOXS. 



C. Khastaxa, Griff. Khakyen Hills and IMartaban at 4000 and 6500 feet. 



Leares palmately flabellate, 4-5 feet across. Fruit-bearing spadix docompoundly 

 branched, panicle-like, nodding, glabrous. 



Lici'ALA, Itionplilus. 



Flowers bcrmaphrndite, solitary, or by twos or threes. Stamens perigynons, the 

 filaments inserted at the throat, and united into a ring. Pinna: fi-ee or united with 

 flabellate segments by threes or more. 



* Flowers large. Leaves peJtaiehj flalellate. 



L. PELTATA, Eosb. Trcc forests all over Burma and the Andamans. 



Sa-lu (Kurz). 



Cahjx ^ to g of an inch long. 



* * Flowers smM. Calyx not above 2 lines long. Leares imlmatehj-jlahellate. 



L. PALUDOSA, Griff. Tidal forests and swamps in the Andamans. 



Trunk 4-8 feet long. Petioles aculeate, bordered along their whole length. 

 Cahjx about a line long. 



L. LONGiPEs, Griff. Forest south of :Mergui. 



Slia-zoung. Pinang lawyer. 



Almost stemless. Petioles unarmed for the upper thii'd of their length. Cahjx 

 li line long. 



Carpels s>jiiearpous. The ovari/ 2—i-ceJle(l, tcith as many ovules. Prtipes 2-4- 

 celled, with as many seeds. 



§ § Borassinre. Ovary synearpous, 2-4-eelleil, with as many oniles. Drupes 2-4- 

 celled, with as many seeds. 



BoEAssrs, Linnxus. 



Spathes incomplete, several. Corolla imbricate in bud. Drupe large, fleshy, 

 fibrous. Seeds soapy, with an apical pore. Piitnce united into a blade. Erect palms. 



* B. FLAiiKLLiFOKMis, L. Cultivated in Ava and I'rome. 

 Htan. 



The common hin palm. 



This is a tree of considerable value. In the Prome district it is largely cultivated 

 for its ' toddy,' which is not only fermented and vended for its exliilarating properties, 

 but is boiled down and a large quantity of coarse sugar thence obtained. The seeds 

 arc eaten, their gelatinous flesh being very refreshing, and the young shoots (the 

 seeds being planted in beds to germinate) are eaten as a vegetable, though apt to be 

 stringy to a European palate. The leaves serve a variety of purposes, and the trunk, 

 whensplit up, yields rafters, pipes or conduits, as may be required. The external 

 fibres are of iron-hardness, and the wood cut transversely has a pretty look, and might 

 be used effectively for inlaid work. It also makes pretty sticks, though not so good 

 as some canes. According to Dr. Balfour (Forest Trees), it is one of the strongest 

 •woods in tensile strength experimented on by Dr. Wight and Mr. G. Pohde ; but its 

 small scantling (the external hard portion being alone tiscd) will always tell against 

 its employment, save in petty or ephemeral combinations. One piece of infonnation 

 embodied by Dr. Balfour is worth preserving as a curiosity. "The timber of the 

 female tree "is the hardest and best, and that of the male tree is never used, unless 

 the tree be very old. It is too heavy to make ships of." The ships the writer had 

 in his mind's eye, when penning the above passage, must surely have been ' dug-outs' ! 



Leares pinnate or bi-pinnate, or pinnatisect ; rarely almost entire. Perianth 

 complete in both sexes. 



