The dried kernel of the coconut palm is called coura and is one of the chief articles of export from the Philippines and other archipelagos of the Southern Seas, an import ant commercial oil being extracted from the desiccated flesh. Before the kernel has hardened at all the soft green husk is filled with a clear fluid, as pure and tasteless as water, which is the safest and most refreshing drink of the tropics. The husk is slashed with a heavy knife and the native pours the fluid down his throat directly from the nut. Oil is yielded by the fruits or nuts of other species, especially from those of the Cohune palm (Attalea Cohune), and from the more important African oil palm (Dais Guinensis), yellow and violet scented, extensively exported for soap and candles. The small nuts of a stemless palm (Phytelephas macrocarpa) have white kernels that become so hard that they are used instead of ivory, the tree therefore being called ivorynut palm. Areca Catechu furnishes those fruits known as betel-nuts, chewed by Orientals with a bit of lime and betel pepper.
The twin nuts of the coco-de-mer (Lodoicea callipyge) found floating on the ocean, caused endless speculation among mariners who con cluded that they were borne on a submarine palm, before the great trees were discovered in the Seychelles. Other palm fruits are the well-known dates from the cultivated Phoenix dactylifera, .so important a food and article of export from Africa; those of several Ameri can species are sought for by the natives, espe cially the small bitter fruits of the mucuja (Acrocomia lasiospatha), and of the peach palm (Guilielma speciosa). A favorite Brazil ian drink was extracted from the macerated thin pulp of the tiny fruits of the graceful assai (Euterpe oleracece).
Not a few beverages, intoxicating or other wise, are concocted from palm sap. In the Philippines, the fresh or mildly fermented sap drawn from the inflorescence of the coconut and nipa palm is called wine and al cohol are made from the sap of the latter (Nipa fruticans). Filipinos also make wine, s rup and sugar from the burri, or talipot palm Corypha umbraculifera), commercial sago fur 1 ermore being obtained from its soft pith. The chief source of that article, however, is Sagus. (The so-called sago palms (Cycas) are
really members of the cycad family). A simi lar starchy food, and copious quantities of sap are produced by the East Indian wine palm (Caryota wren) the latter known as toddy, being a pleasant drink while fresh, but soon fermenting. When boiled it yields jaggery sugar, and when distilled, the beverage called arracfc. Like products are obtained from the sugar palm (Arenga saccharifera) and other species. The wine palm of Africa is the jupati (Raphia vinifera).
Carnauha wax is shaken from the encrusted foliage of the wax palm of Brazil (Copernicia cerifera) sometimes used to adulterate bees wax; and another vegetable wax is scraped from the trunks of Ceroxylon Andicola of New Granada, where it is mixed with vege table tallow for candles. Several palms are robbed of their terminal buds, so that they may be cooked as vegetables; hence they are called cabbage palms. One, the tall West In dian palm (Oreodoxa olcraccea), is a relative of the magnificent royal palm (Oreodoxa • regia).
Bibliography.— Cook, O. F., and Collins, G. N., Plants of Porto Rico' (Con trib. United States Nat. Herb. Vol. VIII, pt. 2, Washington 1903); Fawcett, W., (Guide to the Botanic Gardens, Castleton, Jamaica' (Kingston, Jamaica. Hope Gardens 1904); id., 'Index to Economic Products of the Vege table Kingdom in Jamaica' (Jamaica 1891) ; Gifford, J. C., Forest Reserve, Porto Rico' (United States Department Agriculture, Bureau of Forestry Bulletin 54, Washington 1905); Harris, W., of Jamaica' (Imp. Department of Agriculture for West Indies, Reprint from West Indies Bulletin, Vol. IX, No. 4, pp. 297-328, 1909) •, Murphy, L. S., of Porto Rico' (United States De partment of Agriculture Bulletin 354, Wash ington 1916) ; Philippine Commission Report. pt. 3 (United States War Department, Vol. IX, Washington 1907) ; Shinn, C. H., (Economic Study of Acacias' (United States Department Agriculture Bulletin 9, ib. 1913); Smith, J. G.. 'Black Wattle in Hawaii' (Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 11, ib. 1906) : 'Useful Fibre Plants of the World,' and many pamphlets issued by the United States Agri cultural Department.