THE 
NTHLY. 
Vol. IX.] 
COLOMBO, DECEMBER ist, 1889. 
[No. 6. 
THE VEGETABLE IVORY PLANT. 
correspondent has sent us 
a leaf from a periodical 
called " The Family Doctor," 
containing an interesting 
account of the palm, the 
seeds of which are used as 
a substitute for ivory. A 
pretty engraving of this procumbent-stemmed and 
feathery-leaved palm is given, with the descrip- 
tion whioh we quote, but we have had to seek 
elsewhere for the scientific name. It is Phyte- 
lephas macrocarpa, one of the most beautiful as well 
as curious of the palm tribe, of which the magni- 
ficent talipot is the undoubted monarch. The 
leaves of the so-called ivory palm rise, like 
gigantic ostrich feathers, to a height of some- 
times 40 feet. The fruits, or rather fruit 
depositaries, are as large as a man's head, and con - 
tain numerous nuts which when ripe, closely re- 
semble ivory in whiteness and hardness. The 
leaves are used by the Indians for thatch. As 
the habitat of the plant is the northern part 
of South America, we see no reason why this plant 
should not succeed in the plains and along the 
river sides of Ceylon. We recommend it to Dr. 
Trimen's notice, if he has not already introduced it 
or made the attempt. Tea planters in the low- 
country might well try it, for ornament if not for 
commercial utility. Some botanists are inclined to 
separate this plant from the palms and erect it 
into a separate natural order. In its anomalous 
position and in its uses, it so olosely resembles 
the Nipa palm (so-called) that we were strongly 
reminded when reading the article quoted of the Gin- 
pol of the Sinhalese —the " water coconut " of the 
English. It resembles the coconut palm, how- 
ever, only in its foliage, the fruit closely re- 
sombling that of the ivory palm. But that it has 
a oreeping stem, the classifioution of the nip a 
wi th the pandams or sorew-pine plants would seem 
to be justified, for, like them, it grows specially in 
brackish water. But it differs so much from the 
Palms and Pandanaeas, that it, like the ivory palm, 
is placed by itself as the only species of a genus. 
In Java the " nipa palm" is of great economical 
value, the bamboo houses (rendered necessary by 
the prevalence of earthquakes) being covered with 
thatoh made of the long nipa leaves. Beady 
plaited they are to be constantly seen carried about 
for sale. We are not aware that the leaves, about 
20 feet long are ever so utilized in Ceylon. When 
burnt they are said to yield salt. From the spadix, 
toddy with the same qualities as that obtained 
from the coconut is extracted, and the seeds are 
edible. We can recollect our disappointment when, 
very many years ago, we gathered some of the curious 
screw-piDe-like fruits, to find that on parting 
with their moisture they fell to pieces. Those 
interested can find specimens growing, in the water, 
on the edges of the backwaters or " gobbs" which 
commencing south of Colombo are prominent as 
" lakes" at Moratuwa, Panadure, &c. And no doubt 
the gin-pol grows on the shoreB of the Negombo 
Lake. Geologists have found that a similar 
plant abounded, in the tertiary period, in the 
waters of the Thames. We are not aware that 
any economic use is here made of the leaves of the 
curious " screw-pines," which are so numerous 
standing out of the water on their stilt-like aerial roots 
in backwaters and swamps. The fruits of the Pan- 
danus are eaten by the aboriginals of Australia, 
and there is one valuable species, the Vacoua, 
which is converted in Mauritius into sugar 
bags, those bags being subsequently used in 
Britain to form the fish bags, commonly used in the 
markets. 
We submit that the " ivory " palm should be 
added to the long list of South American plants 
already naturalized in Ceylon, and that our own 
" water-coconut" and screw-pines might be utilized 
more than they now are. Fibre from the lattor, — 
stem as well as leaf fibre might be useful at any 
rate as a paper material. 
