Caryota urens L.
ചൂണ്ടപ്പന


Family: ARECACEAE
Sub-Family: Not available
English Name: Jaggery Palm
Synonym: Not available
Common Name: Olatti, Elephant palm
Flowering & Fruiting Period: January - April
Distribution: Indo-Malesia
Habitat: Evergreen forests, also in the plains
Uses: The fibres are manufactured into ropes, brushes, brooms, baskets. From the pith a good variety of "sago" is obtained which is highly nutritious. Toddy is also obtained from this palm. Terminal bud is edible.
Key Characteristics: Monoecious stout tall palms, trunk smooth with prominent annular leaf-scars. Leaves bipinnate. Spadix interfoliar, shortly peduncled, pendulous; spathes few. Flowers many, in triads with female flower in the middle. Sepals 3, rounded, imbricate. Petals linear-oblong, valvate. Stamens many. Ovary 3-celled, 3-gonous; ovule 1-per locule. Fruit globose, reddish purple; seeds plano-convex, subreniform.