SAGU] 



Eljr Erca^urp of 2Sotang. 



1006 



and three not overlapping petals ; the 

 males containing an indefinite number of 

 stamens, and the females a three-celled 

 ovary bearing three stigmas. Their fruit 

 is a large roundish usually three-seeded 

 berry, rather flat and somewhat three 

 cornered at the top, and possessing an 

 acrid flesh. 



S. saccharifer, the Areng, is a very com- 

 mon palm in the Indian islands, and on 

 account of the variety of its products is of 

 great value to the natives. The black 

 horsehair-like fibre surrounding its. leaf- 

 stalks, called Ejoo or Gomuti by the Malays, 

 is converted into cordage, employed for 

 thatching, plaited into ornaments, &c. ; a 

 large supply of toddy or palm-wine is ob- 

 tained by cutting off the flower-spikes, 

 and this when inspissated affords an abund- 

 ance of sugar, or when fermented a capital 

 vinegar : considerable quantities of sago, 

 of a rather inferior quality, is also de- 

 rived from this palm, and several other 

 products of minor importance. [A. SJ 



SAGUS. A considerable number of spe- 

 cies have from time to time been placed 

 under this generic name, but Dr. Von 

 Marti us, in his celebrated work on the 

 Palmacece, refers them all to Metroxylon 

 and Raphia. The name Sagas, however, 

 is retained for the largest and most im- 

 portant of the two well-marked sections 

 into which the genus is divided. These 

 are distinguished from each other by the 

 manner in which they develope their flower- 

 spikes, and also by the structure of their 

 seeds. Thus, in the section called Pigafetta, 

 the spikes are produced from the sides of 

 the stem, and the seeds are homogeneous ; 

 while in Sagus the spikes are terminal, and 

 the seeds have internal dark-coloured 

 markings like nutmegs. These differences 

 in the mode of flowering, although not re- 

 garded as of sufficient importance to war- 

 rant the establishment of two genera, exer- 

 cise an important influence upon the rela- 

 tive duration of the trees: those of the 

 Pigafetta section being capable of produc- 

 ing a long succession of flower-spikes, and 

 consequently of living to an old age, while 

 those of the Sagas section can only pro- 

 duce one spike of flowers ; the flowering 

 season being to them the sure precursor 

 of their dissolution, the tree gradually 

 withering and dying after the solitary 

 flower-spike has produced its crop of scaly- 

 coated fruits. 



The word Sagus is derived from Sago or 

 Sagu, which in the language of the Papuan 

 race signifies bread, and is given by them 

 to the two palms, S. Icevis and S. Ramphii, 

 from which the well-known sago of the 

 shops is obtained. The former of these, 

 S. la?vis (alias Metroxylon Iwve), the Spine- 

 less Sago Palm, from which the greatest 

 part of the sago exported to Europe is de- 

 rived, grows from twenty-five to fifty feet 

 high, and has a rather thick trunk marked 

 with the scars left by fallen leaves, and 

 usually invested towards the summit with 

 the withered remains of leafstalks ; above 

 these the large pinnate smooth-stalked 



rather erect leaves form a graceful crown, 

 from out of the centre of which the alter- 

 nately-branched pyramidal flower-spikes 

 arise, their bases being enveloped by smooth 

 sheaths. S. Rumphii(atfns Metroxylon Rum- 

 phii), the Prickly Sago Pann, resembles the 

 former in general appearance, but is usu- 

 ally a much smaller tree, and has its leaf- 

 stalks and the sheaths enveloping the lower 



Sagus Rumphii. 



part of the flower-spikes armed with sharp 

 spines from half an inch to about an inch 

 long. These trees produce their flower- 

 spikes when about fifteen years old, and the 

 fruit is nearly three years in ripening, after 

 which they die. In order to procure the 

 greatest quantity of sago, the trees must 

 be cut down immediately the flower-spike 

 makes its appearance. 



The Sago of commerce is prepared from 

 the soft inner portion of the trunks of 

 these two species, which are sociable palms, 

 growing together in large masses, prin- 

 cipally in swampy places. It is obtained 

 by cutting the trunks into pieces about 

 two feet long, the pieces being then split 

 in half, and the soft substance scooped 

 out and pounded in water till the starchy 

 matter separates, when it is drained off 

 with the water, allowed to settle, and after- 

 wards purified by washing. It is then in 

 the form of sago-meal, but before being 

 sent to this country it is made into what 

 is termed pearl-sago. This is a Chinese 

 process, and is carried on principally at 

 Singapore. The rough meal is first repeat- 

 edly washed and strained, then spread out 

 to dry and broken into small pieces, which, 

 when sufficiently hard, are pounded and 

 sifted until they are of regular size. Small 

 quantities are then placed in a large cloth 

 or bag suspended from the ceiling, and 

 shaken backwards and forwards for about 

 ten minutes, when it becomes granulated 

 or pearled, and is thoroughly dried and 

 packed for exportation. [A. S.] 



SAHEBA. An Indian name for a worm- 

 seed, the produce of Artemisia judaica. 



