Chapter VII.— PALMS. 



The majority of palms are not only ornamental but highly 

 useful. The straight, erect palm trunks and long leaves, 

 usually gracefully bent, impress the beholder with a sense 

 of dignity and beauty. Some species, however, have no 

 trunk at all or the merest indication of one. Other species 

 clamber in the dense tropical forests that form their natural 

 habitat. These latter — the rattans — because of their eco- 

 nomic importance and because they are not ordinarily 

 thought of as palms, will be considered in a separate chapter. 



Many palms have long, stout petioles bearing a great 

 number of leaflets which are linear in form. Others, like 

 the palma brava and buri palm, have orbicular leaves on 

 long, massive petioles. 



Palms like the coconut, buri, and sugar palms yield not 

 only valuable food products, but are of considerable eco- 

 nomic importance because of the industrial fibers obtained 

 from their leaves, midribs, and petioles. 



ARECA NUT PALM. 



(Areca catechu.) 



Areca nut palm (E.) ; banga (Camarines) ; boa (II.) ; bua (Caga- 

 yan) ; bunga (T.) ; luyos (Pampanga). 



This slender, erect palm produces the areca or betel nuts 

 which are chewed, with or without lime and pepper leaves, 

 throughout eastern Asia and Malaysia. 



USES. 



Sheaths. — The sheathing basal portion of the leaf petioles 

 and the bracts which protect the flower cluster and fruits 

 are pliable, strong, and tough. The sheaths are dried and 

 used in a number of schools for the inside sole of slippers. 

 They seem well adapted to this purpose. The sheaths (only 

 the inner white surface) are used as wrapping paper for 

 fish, salt, and other products. 



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