144 THE PALMS OF ASIA. 



the trees among Avhicli they grow in thoir 

 native forests, and to assist in the same object 

 the leaflets nearest the end of the leaf are short, 

 hardened, and hooked backwards, so as to afford 

 a number of additional points of support. 



The gum resin, called Dragoiis Hood, is 

 another important product of the Calami, and 

 is obtained from the fruits of several species, 

 chiefly from C. petrceus, C. rudcntum, C. vents, 

 and C. draco. Their ripe fruit? are covered 

 with a reddish brown, dry, resinous substance. 

 In this state they are collected, and allov/ed to 

 remain in rice mills till the resin drops off. It 

 is afterwards melted, either by the natural 

 warmth of the air or by artificial heat, and then 

 moulded into the different forms in which it 

 occurs in commerce. Another mode of ob- 

 taining it is as follows : — The ripe fruits are 

 shaken in bags, and the resin so obtained is 

 formed into pieces about the size of a bean, 

 which are then wrapped up in leaves ; this kind 

 is much prized in the East Indies. A second 

 sort is procured by throwing together the fruits 

 after they have been treated in the foi'cgoing 

 manner, melting them in the siui, or with a slow 

 fire, and collecting what exudes, which is then 

 formed into four-cornered cakes. One species of 

 tliis palm, called by the natives the salak, affords 



