03 May1998

Overstory #6 - Introduction to Multipurpose Palms

Written by Dr. Franklin W. Martin, Craig Elevitch and Kim Wilkinson.

Among the plants of the Tropics it is difficult to find a family of plants of more service to people than the palm family (Palmae, Arecaceae). In fact, this family has been called the most versatile of all due to its many uses. Palms seldom receive the recognition they merit, perhaps because the family is almost entirely of the tropics, and almost completely absent in temperate zones where there are more writers of books and magazines as well as researchers. This article aims to stimulate readers to grow and use palms with the belief that these plants can be of much, much more service.

Records Involving Palms

Palms beat records in many ways, as follows:

Most versatile plant family in total uses: Palmae
Most versatile plant family in food uses: Palmae
World's longest woody vines: Rattan palms
World's longest leaves: Raffia palms (over 10 meters)
World's longest inflorescence: Talipot palm
World's largest seed: Double coconut (Coco-de-Mer)
World's hardest seed: Ivory palm
World's tallest palm: Ceroxylon (65 meters)
World's single best starch source: Metroxylon
Most versatile plant in the world: Coconut palm
Most versatile plant in the world: Coconut palm

The Uses of Palms Around the World

How are palms used around the world? It might take considerable study to find all the ways. More than 800 uses have been recorded for the date palm alone, for it is the very foundation of life for several cultures. One might divide the uses into three classes: for ecological purposes, for food, and for other uses.

Ecological Uses

Palms are seldom used purposely for ecological purposes, yet they play a great role in the ecology of the tropical forest, for they are, in size, from small and almost insignificant understory plants to large and dominating beauties of the forest. They are shelter for numerous birds and small animals. In the axils of the old leaves other plants such as ferns, orchids, and bromeliads grow, and their unique insects are many in number. Palms are principal sources of food for many birds and mammals, serving an important ecological function.

Food Uses

Almost all parts of the palm can be used as food in some cases, as shown below. The three most common food uses are of the sap, the accumulated starch, or the growing tip. The tapping of the inflorescence (flower cluster) or the apex of the palm yields sap, which can be made into a fresh drink, or fermented into toddy, or then distilled into a drink called arrack. The sap can also be boiled to yield palm sugar, or jaggery. The accumulated starch is harvested from the trunk of mature palms, and becomes not only a staple food but an industrial product as well. The third common use is of the growing tip hidden among the bases of the leaves. The tender tip, eaten raw or cooked, is frequently called millionaire's salad. Harvesting the tip destroys the trunk, and thus the best species for this purpose are those with multiple trunks. The above general uses are shared by many, many species of palms. In contrast, the edible qualities of the inflorescence, the flower, the pollen, the fruit pulp, and the nut inside vary with each species and it is difficult to be sure of these uses without careful trial.

The Edible Uses of Palms

From sap: toddy, wine, vinegar, arrack, sugar, jaggery
From bud: palm cabbage
From flower cluster: cooked vegetable, candied flowers, pollen, bee nectar
From fruit pulp: fresh, cooked or candied, mixed in drinks, in "vinho", fermented for palm wine
Extraction of fruit: For cooking oil and medicine
From nut: fresh for drinking, raw or roasted, as drug or stimulant
Germinated seed: For edible root ball
From trunk: Sago for starch
From roots: Medicines

Other uses of the palms

The principal non-food uses of palms are summarized below. One very important use is for construction. Because the trunks and leaves may be long, they often contain tough fibers that are quite useful. The trunks, entire or cut into planks, and the petioles as well as the rib of the leaf are often used to support buildings, or as a framework, or even as floors. The leaves are woven in many ways to make useful mats and are often used in thatching of walls and roofs. Very thin trunks of vine-like palms are the sources of rattan used in furniture.

Useful wax is removed from some species, from the trunk, the mature leaves or even the young, unfolded leaves. This is an article of commerce such as carnauba wax. The fibers can be removed by hand after retting (partial rotting in water), or by hand techniques. Many woody parts of the plants are used for making charcoal. But, this is not all, for native peoples have found ways to use even the thorns of some species. Finally, some plant parts, especially the foliage, but also the trunks of some starchy palms are used for animal feed, especially during drought.

Other useful products of the palms:

Trunks: As timbers, planks, fiber, rattan, charcoal, starch for pig feed

Fronds or leaves: For fences, thatching, weaving, arrow shafts, fiber, wax, fodder, to write on

Roots: Medicines

Thorns: Arrow tips

Fruit: Husks for fiber

Seeds: Ornaments

Nut shells: Utensils, or for charcoal

Oils: Soap making

Thus, the uses of palms are highly varied, and the cultures that depend on palms have discovered many uses for them.