Caryota Urens
Family : Arecaceae
Common Name : Fishtail Palm, Jaggery Palm, Toddy Palm, Wine Palm
English Name : Fishtail Palm, Jaggery Palm, Toddy Palm, Wine Palm
Hindi Name : Mari, Sulphi
Telugu Name : Jeelugu
Bengali Name : Sopari
Tree Characteristics :
Fishtail palm is a fast growing feather palm that makes a beautiful addition to the landscape. It has a gray trunk (grows to about 30') that is covered by regularly spaced leaf scar rings. Toddy palm has a leaf shape that resembles the lower fin of a fish. When these palms grow to reach 20', they start producing flowers at the top of the trunk with subsequent flowers produced lower and lower on the trunk. When the lowest flower blooms, the tree dies. Flowers are long plait like bunches hanging down. Toddy palm is an Asian species that grows from India to Burma and on the island country of Sri Lanka.
Nursery Practice :
Seed - At room temperature the seeds remain viable for 30 - 90 days, depending on storage conditions. An experiment in Sri Lanka on the effect of seed storage and exposure to sunlight revealed a germination rate of 99% for seeds sown after 30-day storage in a dark room .
Economic Use:
A very strong, fine, soft and durable fibre is obtained from the leaf bases. It is used to make a wide range of products, but especially brooms, brushes, ropes, baskets etc.
The leaves are used for thatching.
The mature wood in the outer portion of the stem is strong, heavy and durable. The stem yields an inferior timber sometimes used for construction purposes, especially in traditional buildings, for purposes such as planking, flooring, rafters, roofing, partitioning and fencing, and also for making spears.
