THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 451 



obsolete lobes ; outer substance coriaceous, thick, inner gelatinous, 

 adhering for the most part to the seeds ; seeds black, convex on the 

 outer, bifacial on the inner face, attenuate at the base ; albumen 

 horny, cartilaginous ; embryo dorsal. 



Habitat. — Assam; Martaban and Tenasserim; occasionally on 

 the Pegu Yoma ; commonly cultivated in India. Malay Peninsula 

 and Archipelago (in Java iip to 4,600 feet). 



Flowers. — The palm flowers about the tenth year. Flowers may 

 be seen throughout the year. Thes padices of the uppermost axils 

 flower first, and have often mature fruit when the lowest come into 

 flower. 



Fruit. — Ripens during the year following the appearance of 

 the flowers. After all spadices have matured their seed, the 

 tree dies. 



Dissemination. — Of the few animals which are able to eat the 

 corrosive fruit of this tree, there are two mammals in Java : the 

 Paradoxurus (Luwak) and Sus verrucosus. The Sago Palm seems 

 to owe its wide distribution in Java chiefly to these animals. 

 (Koorders c. I., 238). 



Uses. — Arenga saccharifera is one of the handsomest and most 

 useful palms. The principal production of this tree is : — 



(a) The Toddy. — According to Crawfurd it is obtained in the 

 following way : — One of the spadices is, on the first appearance of 

 fruit, beaten on three successive days with a small stick, with the 

 view of determining the sap to the wounded part. The spadix 

 is then cut off a little way from its root, and the liquor which pours 

 out is received in pots of earthenware, in bamboos, or other vessels. 

 The Gomuti Palm is fit to yield toddy when nine or ten years old, 

 and continues to yield it for two years, at the average rate of three 

 quarts a day. When newlj^ drawn, the liquor is clear, and in taste 

 resembles fresh must. In a very short time it becomes turbid, 

 whitish, and somewhat acid, and cjuickly runs into the vinous 

 fermentation, acquiring an intoxicating quality. In this state 

 great quantities are consumed ; a still larger quantity is immediately 

 applied to the purpose of yielding : 



(h) Sugar. — With this view the liquor is boiled to a sja-up, and 

 thrown out to cool in small vessels, the form of which it takes, and 

 in this shape it is sold in the markets. This sugar is of a dark 

 colour and greasy consistence, with a peculiar flavour. It is the 

 only sugar used by the native population. The wine of this palm 

 is also used by the Chinese residing in the Indian Islands in the 

 preparation of the celebrated Batavian arrack. The Journal of 

 the Indian Archiioelago (Nov. 1849) gives some further interest- 

 ing details with regard to the manufacture of sugar. " Like the 

 cocoa-nut tree ", it says, " the Gomuti Palm comes into bearing- 

 after the seventh year. It produces two kinds of mayams or 



A 



