68 



and if a little care is exercised in the preparation of the 

 material and in workmanship, excellent baskets result. 

 Because of its graceful appearance, the palm is well worth 

 cultivating as an ornamental plant if for no other reason. 



SUGAR PALM. 



(Arenga saccharifera.) 



Sugar palm (E.) ; bagot-bat, idiok (Oriental Negros) ; batbat, ebiok 

 (Bohol) ; hibiok (Vis., Capiz, Iloilo, Occidental Negros) ; hidiok 

 (B.) (Albay, Antique, Capiz, Tablas) ; igok (Antique) ; irok 

 (Cavite, Mindoro, Tayabas, Zambales) ; kaong (T.) (Cavite, 

 Laguna) ; onao (Surigao) ; palma criste, habiok (Capiz). 



In Cavite the palm itself is known as caong, the fiber as 

 cabonegro, and the fruit as iroc. In other parts of the 

 Islands the various parts of the plants have also received 

 special names. The maximum height of the plant is 12 m. 

 The large leaves, made up of a hundred or more leaflets 

 on each side of the petiole (rachis), are remarkably long 

 and attain a length of from 6 to 8.5 m. They finally fall 

 off and leave conspicuous round scars on the trunk. The 

 bases of the petioles are surrounded by coarse, black, matted 

 fibers which remain on the trunk even after the petioles 

 have dropped off. 



From the axils o f the leaves, stout stalks arise which bear 

 a great number of long pendulous flowering branches up 

 to 1.5 m. long. The palm flowers throughout the year and 

 the fruit is produced in prodigious quantity. Each indi- 

 vidual fruit, however, is only 5 cm. in diameter and more 

 or less round (globose) . 



DISTRIBUTION. 



This palm is of general distribution throughout the Phil- 

 ippines, though perhaps more abundant in the provinces 

 south of Manila. It is also found growing from India 

 to Malaysia. 



PREPARATION. 



Splints. — On account of the position of the leaflets, only 

 the lower part and the front and back part of the petioles 

 can be utilized. The preparation of the material is the 



