PETAI.OIDE.-E. 089 



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

 into this country under the name of Garnauba or Brazilian Wax. 



Corypha umbraculifera, the Talipot Palm, yields a kind of Sago in 

 Ceylon, but this is not an article of commerce. 



Mais guineensis and E. melanococca, the Guinea Oil Palms. — The sarco- 

 carp of the drupaceous fruits of these Palms abounds in oil, which when 

 extracted is known as Palm Oil. This is a solid butter-like oil, of a rich 

 orange-yellow colour, and is extensively used in tliis country in the manu- 

 facture of soap and candle?, and for lubricating the wheels of railway- 

 carriages, ifcc. About 900,000 cwt., representing a money value of 1,800,00(V., 

 were imported into this country in 1868. In Africa Palm oil is used as food 

 by the natives. The hard stony putamen of the same fruits also yields a 

 limpid oil. Palm wine or toddy is likewise obtained from the wounded 

 spathes of these Palms. 



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

 the circumstance of its young terminal leaf -bud being boiled and eaten as 

 a vegetable. From the fruits of other species, as E. edulis and E. Assai, 

 pleasant beverages are prepared. 



Hyphcene thebaica, the Doum Palm of Egypt {fig. 177). The pericarp of the 

 fruit resembles gingerbread ; hence this plant is sometimes known as the 

 Gingerbread tree. 



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

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

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

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

 fibres are known under the names of Piassaba or Pia^ava, Para Grass, or 

 Monkey Grass. They are chiefly used as a substitute for bristles by brush- 

 makers, and for making the stout brooms now commonly used for cleaning 

 the streets, &c. Two kinds of Piassaba fibre are knouTa in commerce — one, 

 the finer vai-iety, imported from Para, and which is derived fi'om this plant ; 

 and a coarser kind obtained from Attaleafunifera. (SeeAltalea.) According 

 to Spriice, the pulpy envelope of the sarcocarp of the ripe fiiiit yields a deli- 

 cious drink resembling cream in colour and taste. 



Mauritia vinifera, the Jluriti Palm, and J/.fiexiwsa, yield toddy. 



Phoenix. — P. dactylifera is the Date Palm. The fruits called Dates are 

 nutritious, and aiford the principal food of the inhabitants of some parts 

 of Africa and Arabia. Animals are also fed upon them. They are imported 

 into this country, and used for dessert but they are not much esteemed. 

 About ten tons annually are received. They have been lately used as a 

 food for cattle, but at present their price is too high to allow of any great 

 consumption for such a purpose. The Date Palm is the Palm commonly 

 referred to in Scripture. The juice (toddy) affords sugar, and an intoxicat- 

 ing beverage tei-med lagbi is also sometimes obtained from it. The leaves, 

 the fibres obtained from the leaf -stalks, the wood, and in fact nearly every 

 part of this palm is applied to some useful purpose. P. sylvestris, the Wild 

 Date Palm, is the plant from which the largest quantity of palm sugar is 

 obtained. It is a native of India, where, it is said, 130,000,0(0 pounds of 

 sugar are annually extracted from it. Palm sugar resembles cane sus'ar in 

 flavour. The total amount of palm sugar obtained from the different kinds 

 of Palms has been estimated by Johnston at 220,000,000 pounds. P. farini- 

 fera yields an inferior kind of Sago, which is used in some parts of India. 



Phytelephas mac rocar pa. —The hard albumen of the seed of this Pahn 

 constitutes the vegetable ivory of commerce ; this is used extensively by the 

 turners. The fruits present some resemblance to negroes' heads, and are 

 hence termed Cabeza del negro. 



Saguerus saccharifer, the Areng or Gommuti PaLni, supplies abundance of 

 palm sugar in the Moluccas and Philippines. Pahn sugar is iisually 

 obtained from the juice which flows out from the different Palms upon 

 wounding their spathes and surroundmg parts. It is commonly known in 

 India by the name of Jaggery. The juice (toddy) of the Gommuti Palm, 

 when fermented, produces an intoxicating liquid. In Sumatra it is 

 termed neva, 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 

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