684 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



buds, when boiled, are eaten as a vegetable. Their leaves are 

 applied in various ways, as for thatching their habitations, 

 materials for writing upon, in the manufacture of hats, matting, 

 &c. ; their wood is applied to many useful purposes ; the fibres 

 of their petioles and fruits supply materials for cordage, cloth, 

 and various textile fabrics ; and the hard albumen of their seeds 

 is applicable in many ways. In a medicinal point of view they 

 are of very much less importance; indeed, they do not supply any 

 important article of the Materia Medica of Europe, although in 

 tropical countries they are of more value, and in frequent use as 

 medicinal agents. 



Leopoldinia Piassaba. — The persistent petiole-bases of this Palm termi- 

 nate in long pendulous beards of bristle-like fibres ; these are cut off from the 

 young plants after having been previously combed out by means of a rude 

 comb, and now form an important article of commerce in Brazil. The fibres 

 are known under the names of Piassaba or Pia9ava, Para Grass, or Monkey 

 Grass. They are chiefly used for brooms, brushes for cleaning, &c. Accord- 

 ing to Spruce, the pulpy envelope of the sarcocarp of the ripe fruit, yields a 

 delicious drink resembling cream in colour and taste. 



Euterpe montana is one of the Cabbage Palms. It is so called from the 

 circumstance of its young leaf-buds being boiled and eaten as a vegetable. 

 From the fruits of other species, as E. edulis and Assai, pleasant beverages 

 are prepared. 



Areca Catechu, the Catechu or Betel Nut Palm. — The seed is known un- 

 der the names of the Betel, Areca, and Pinang Nuts. In the south of India 

 an extract is made from Areca nuts. This extract constitutes one of the com- 

 mercial varieties of Catechu, and is commonly known as Colombo or Ceylon 

 Catechu, altiiough it is doubtful whether any Catechu is prepared in that 

 island. In its properties and uses it resembles the Catechu obtained from 

 Acncia Catechu (See p. 531). Charcoal prepared from the Areca nut is 

 termed Areca-nut charcoal, and is used in this country as a tooth-powder. )t 

 has no value over that of ordinary charcoal. The Betel Nut is one of the in- 

 gredients in the filmed masticatory of the East, called Betel, (See Chavica 

 Betel.^ A. oleracea is the West Indian Cabbage Palm. Its young terminal 

 bud is boiled, and eaten as a vegetable. 



Ceroxylon or Iriartea andicola. — The trunk, and axils of the leaves of this 

 palm secrete wax, which may be applied to many useful purposes. It is a 

 native of South America. 



Copernicia cerifera, the Carnauba Palm, is a native of the Brazils. On 

 the lower surface of its leaves wax is secreted, which is occasionally imported 

 into this coiuitry under the name of Carnauba or Brazilian Wax. 



Caryotn urens. — From this palm sugar may be procured, and its juice when 

 fermented, forms a kind of toddy or palm wine. From the trunks of the old 

 trees a kind of Sago is obtained in Assam. 



Mauritia vinijera, the Muriti Palm, and M.ftexuosa, yield toddy. 



Saguerus saccharijer, the Gommuti Palm, supplies abundance of palm 

 sugar in the Moluccas and Philippines. Palm sugar is generally obtained 

 from the juice which flows out from the different Palms upon wounding their 

 spathes and surrounding parts. It is commonly known in India by the 

 name of Jaggery. The juice of the Gommuti Palm when fermented, pro- 

 duces an intoxicating iituid or toddy. In Sumatra it is termed iieva, and a 

 kind of arrack is distilled from it in Batavia. From the trunk of this Palm, 

 when exhausted of its saccharine juice, a good deal ot our commercial Sago is 

 obtained. A single tree will yield from 1.50 to 200 pounds of Sago. The juice 

 of the fruit is very acrid. The stiff strong fibre known under the name of 

 Gommuti or Ejow fibre, is obtained from the Saguerus sarcharifer. 



Sanus.—Yxom the trunks of S. Icevis, S. grnuina, and other species, the prin- 

 cipal part of our Sago is obtained. From the former, as much as 800 lbs. may 

 be produced from a single plant. Sago is imported into this country from 

 Singapore. The average importation for some years has exceeded 400O tons. 

 Corypha utnbracnlifera, the Talipot Palm, also yields Sago in Ceylon. 

 Borassus JlabeU(/or mis, the Palmyra Palm. — From the juice of this Palm, 



