Palm family is unique in the aspect that most of its members have muli purpose benefits to the mankind, unrivalled by few other trees. There are several palm species such as Borassus, Areca, Sago, Fish Tail etc. Because of their beautiful structure, many of the palms adorn gardens.Though pal trees grow very tall, they can also be raised in home gardens or as dwarfs in pots.One of the most important palm trees is the Sugar palm.Botanically known as Borassus Flabellifer; it is widely distributed in the tropics such as India, Srilanka, South East Asia, New Guinea etc.
People from temperate regions are not much aware of this palm and hence are not privileged as people of tropics in appreciating the multi fold benefits of this palm. The tree grows upto 30 meters in height, with separate sexes. The female trees bear edible fruits of about 20 cm diameter.
Over a lifecycle starting from fruit to tree, the sugar palm or toddy palm provides six types of edible portions at different stages. The immature or unripe fruits contain 2-3 locules, and the locules contain a hydrolyzed carbohydrate which is very tasty. (Called 'munji' in Telugu language). On maturity the carbohydrates convert to hard starch and this starch is not edible. The locules are in hard shells, which are covered by fibrous material, and this fibrous material which was earlier greenish-whitish in color and tasteless, accumulates sugar and turns orange-red juicy fibres.
This sweet orange juice with characteristic flavor (fruit at this stage called 'tati pandu' in telugu), is mixed with flour and baked into cakes. If the ripened fruit is left untouched, the fruit falls to the ground and the seeds (or locules) generate a peg geotropically into the soil. The seed, which has hard starchy material, gets again hydrolyzed into sugars and takes the form of semi solid white mass (the seed on ground with peg into the soil at this stage is called 'burra gunju' in telugu). If this stage is not disturbed, the hydrolyzed starch gets transferred through the peg inside the soil and forms a cotyledon.
Once the transfer of sugars is complete, the cotyledon which measures 1-2 cm in thickness and 15-25 cm in length and of conical shape is again edible (this stage is called 'tega' in Telugu). If this stage is also not harmed, the cotyledon gives rise to a new palm. While the earlier edible stages namely munji, tati pandu, burra gunju and tega are derived from fruits, there are two other edibles that can be derived from the reserve material stored near the apical bud of the tree. The reserve material which sustains the growth of the tree and much helpful in reproductive stage, is very sweet and looks like a cylindrical white portion with several layers.
The inner the layer, the sweeter it is (this cylindrical sweet portion is called 'muvva' or 'movvu' in Telugu. The sixth edible derived is called the toddy ('kallu' in telugu) is derived from this apical bud, by making an incision. From this incision, the liquid food material that is part of the plant's translocation is tapped and this is an intoxicating and energy giving drink.
Apart from the edible uses, there are several other benefits which man has been using since time immemorial. The leaves are used for thatching and making mats. The leaf stalks have tough fibers, which are twined to make tough ropes for building of houses, boats, etc.The dried shells, leaf stalks are used as fuel. The trunks are used either as live poles in construction of thatch sheds, or as timber in replacement for wooden poles.The trunk of the tree is hollowed, and is directly used as a boat (called 'dhone' in telugu) for travel and fishing in many parts of the tropics.
Thus the Sugar Palm or Palmyra Palm or Toddy Palm is unrivalled even in the palm family, for the multi-fold benefits it offers in its life time at different stages.Apprecating this Indian's give it the status of 'son' for it takes care of them single handedly even in hard times.
Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur, Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in India.The famous Kolleru bird sancturay, a fresh water lake that attracts birds from as far as Siberia, is located near Kaikalur. Kolleru lake once vast , beautiful and sheltering scores of birds and other animals is on the verge of extinction. The author Holds a Masters degree in Agricultural Sciences and is cofounder of an organization involved in Nature conservation and sustainable development. The author can be reached at uravikumar@yahoo.com.
![]() Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:50:53 GMT GOP Officials Hope for Stability From McCain - New York Times
New York Times - By ADAM NAGOURNEY and ELISABETH BUMILLER Republican leaders across the country said Saturday that they were worried that Senator John McCain was heading for defeat unless he brought stability to his presidential candidacy and settled on a clear message ... Antiwar Protestor Disrupts McCain Iowa Rally Obama needs 75 percent turnout in Philadelphia, says Rendell Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:23:47 GMT Got $700 Billion? Sweat the Details - New York Times
New York Times - The bailout plan gives Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, three broad choices in buying assets. By ALAN S. BLINDER THE House of Representatives was against the bailout bill before it was for it. US firms up plan to buy into banks to stem crisis Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:39:07 GMT Gay Marriage Is Ruled Legal in Connecticut - New York Times
New York Times - In Hartford, Crystal Pretzman of Willimantic, Conn., celebrated the State Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Video: Connecticut Court Allows Gay Marriage Marriage ruling not the end of debate in Conn. Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:13:08 GMT World is united to tackle financial crisis, IMF says - MarketWatch
MarketWatch - By Rex Nutting WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Financial policymakers from 180 nations around the world are united in their resolve to tackle the financial crisis, Youssef Boutros-Ghali, head of the International Monetary Fund's policy committee, ... G7 nations face going cap in hand to China Finance officials comments at IMF meetings Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:23:46 GMT US space tourist set for blast-off - Reuters
Reuters - By Maria Golovnina BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - US video game magnate Richard Garriott will blast off into space aboard a Russian spaceship on Sunday watched by his father, a NASA astronaut who went into space at the height of the Cold War. US space tourist set for launch Russian space chief reassures US partners Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:10:50 GMT Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - AP HELSINKI, Finland: Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said Saturday that finding jobs for more than 1 billion young people in the Middle East and Asia will be a major challenge to peacebuilding in the next decade. Video: Ex-Finland President Wins Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Finn Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:12:07 GMT YouTube to play full TV episodes with ads - Afterdawn.com
Afterdawn.com - Google has announced that it will begin offering full-length TV episodes through its YouTube platform beginning this week, thanks to a content deal with CBS. YouTube to Offer TV Shows With Ads Strewn Through YouTube beams up Star Trek for long-form video, prominent new ads Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:13:12 GMT Increased Web Site Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Do you ever dream about what your yard could look... Read More Every lawn, whether new or established, is susceptible to a... Read More The size of your yard will determine your final vegetable... Read More Wide circle driveways don't happen much anymore, but when they... Read More Do you love spending time outdoors in your garden creating... Read More The Porch Swing is enjoying a surge in popularity thanks... Read More "I have no plants in my house. They won't live... Read More Part three in a seriesIn our last article, we helped... Read More Though most Push Reel Mowers made today are durable, they... Read More The charming and delicate beauty of flowers has fascinated people... Read More It's August, the weather has cooled a bit here and... Read More If your grocer says, "Yes, we have no bananas. We... Read More Can't get away for a southern vacation this year? Don't... Read More Deer are the most difficult of all pests to deter... Read More In general, plants grown in straw bales appear to require... Read More One of my favorite plants is the large white-flowered Mystery... Read More Adirondack chairs were invented during the early 1900's by a... Read More It's not difficult to create a garden that will attract... Read More To care for your antique ceramics you need a gentle... Read More They can be pretty to look at and soothing to... Read More Asparagus is a perennial plant with erect, edible stems and... Read More Your dozen rose gift doesn't only have to decorate your... Read More One of the most popular herbs is Ocimum basilicum commonly... Read More Outdoor benches are an excellent way to enhance a garden,... Read More The average home can reduce their water consumption by around... Read More
Adsense
websites
Dream Yard
Lawn Disease And What To Do About It
Vegetable Garden Layout
Roses and Juniper Rock Gardens
Potting Benches: Beautiful and Practical
How to Buy a Porch Swing
Indoor Gardening Tips for Jerry Seinfeld
Layer Your Plantings
5 Simple Steps to Care For Your Push Reel Mower
Flower Meanings & History of Flowers
Fall Garden Planning - Garden Plans for Next Spring and Ordering by Mail
How to Grow Bananas
Escape to Sunny Mexico - at Home!
How to Control Deer in Your Garden
Straw Bale Culture Technique
Perfume Your Garden and Home with Gardenias
Popular Adirondack Chairs - Everything You Need To Know
Create a Hummingbird Garden Habitat
10 Tips to Care for Your Antique Ceramics
Wind Chimes Soothe The Soul
How to Grow Asparagus
22 Fun Things To Do With Your Dozen Rose Gift
Basil: The King of Herbs
Selecting Outdoor Benches
Grey Water- Not Drinking Water- For Your Garden
I've done a lot of container gardening over the years,... Read More
Gardening is a hobby that brings joy, entertainment, and a... Read More
In days gone by, outdoor furniture was cast from iron.... Read More
As you shop around for outdoor furniture, you will notice... Read More
When selecting plants for the landscape, is important to select... Read More
Elaborate and decorative or simple and functional, birdhouses and birdfeeders... Read More
Extending Your Living SpaceThe garden is fast being considered to... Read More
When we moved into our south Anchorage log home I... Read More
A ripe persimmon is a thing of beauty ? sweet,... Read More
There is no mention to be found of female leprechauns... Read More
You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that... Read More
What is xeriscaping? You may have heard of xeriscaping as... Read More
When the days start to get shorter, the darkness may... Read More
If you enjoy making your yard as beautiful as it... Read More
The tomato is the most commonly grown vegetable in the... Read More
The art of planting roses doesn't have to be a... Read More
Spring is the season to start planting seeds for the... Read More
The black walnut tree manufactures a substance that is a... Read More
Perennial plants and flowers stay around for more than just... Read More
Do you ever worry about always having to rely on... Read More
There's a new garden in town. It is (mostly) easy... Read More
Deer are the most difficult of all pests to deter... Read More
Snow peas may have been named because in bright sunlight... Read More
Copy-write 2005 Jan Money.Hydroponics gardening offers many advantages to the... Read More
Before planting, the plants must be prepared. The following suggestions... Read More
Landscaping & Gardening |