BORA'SSUS, a genus of Palms, called Tala in Sanscrit and Palmyra by the English, in imitation of the Portuguese, who name it Palmeira Brava. It is defined by Roxburgh as having dicecious hexandrous flowers ; the calyx and corolla in the males consisting each of three distinct pieces, and in the females of from eight to twelve in a confused state ; and the ovary of three cells, changing to a three-seeded drupe. There is but one species according to writers on Indian botany ; but it is not certain that more than one distinct palm is not confounded under the common name of Palmyra.
Borassus jfabelliformis is the only species. This plant grows all over India, both on the continent and in the islands, whore it is esteemed of the greatest use on account of the vinous sap and the sugar which are extracted from it. Its trunk is from 25 to 40 feet high when full grown, and is perceptibly thicker at the base than nt the summit The leaves are fan-shaped, about 4 feet long, and placed upon stalks of about the same length, which are spiny at their edges ; each leaf is divided into from 70 to 80 rays, which are ragged at the end, and the largest of which are placed In the centre. The fruit is about as big as a child's head, three-cornered, with the angles rounded off, and a little furrowed. It consists of a thick, fibrous, rather succulent, yellowish-brown rind, containing three seeds the size of a goose-egg. When young the shell of the seed is so soft that it may be readily pierced by the finger, and the pulpy matter which it then contains is cool and sweet and refresh ing ; but when ripe all this changes to a hard bluish albumen, which is insipid and uneatable. The outer wood of the stem when old becomes very hard and brown, and although scarcely to be cut transversely, nevertheless divides freely in a longitudinal direction : it is capable of taking a fine polish, and is frequently made use of for bows. The young wood in the centre is white, soft, and worthless.
" This magnificent palm," says Sir William Jones, " is justly con sidered the king of its order, which the li indoos call 'trine drums,' or grass-trees. Van Rheede mentions the bluish, gelatinous, pellucid substance of the young seeds, which in the hot season is cooling and rather agreeable to the taste; but the liquor extracted from the tree is the most seducing and pernicious of intoxicating juices. When just drawn it is as pleasant as Pouhon water fresh from the spring, and almost equal to the best mild champagne. From this liquor, according to Itheale, sugar is extracted; and it would be happy for these provinces if it were always applied to so innocent a purpoae." The mode of obtaining the sap of this palm Is stated by Itumf to be by crushing the young inflorescence and amputating the upper half; the lower is then tied to a leafstalk, and has a vessel usually of bamboo attached to its end. The vassal gradually fills with sap, and is removed every morning; when replaced a fresh slice is cut from the wounded end of the inflorescence—an operation which is repeated daily until the whole of the raceme is sliced away. In procuring the sugar exactly the same process is followed, but the inside of the receiver is powdered with lime, which prevents fermentation taking place : the juice in afterwards boiled down and finally dried by exposure to smoke in little baskets