Caryota urens

• Botanical Name : Caryota urens L.
• Common Name : Shivjata, Shankerjata, Wine Palm, Fish-Tail Palm
• Plant Family : Arecaceae (Palmae)

• According to the Rules of ICBN the names of the families should end in -aceae. Thus the new name for the family Palmae became Arecaceae. However, the name Palmae is also exempted and conserved under 'Nomina Conservanda' because of their constant use for a long time.

• Plant Form : Tree
• Occurrence (Sectors) : 2, 6, 8, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 26, 27
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Gujarat Forestry Research Foundation, Indroda Park, Ayurvedic Udyan, Infocity

About Caryota urens Plant :

• Habit : A tall, handsome palm.
• Leaves :
  • Large, bipinnate, leaflets triangular, irregularly cut, wedge-shaped, obliquely truncate, apex, praemorse, the upper margin prolonged into a tail-like process.
  • Leaf-sheaths smooth, fibrous-netted.
• Inflorescence : Spadix
• Flowers :
  • Monoecious, fully developed spadix are very large several feet long, drooping and freely hanging round about the palm, making it a very conspicuous object, spathes 3 - 5, tubular, splitting on one side.
  • Flowers very numerous, placed in threes, the central and the lowermost being female and develops late, the side flowers are male.
  • Male flowers - sepals 3, roundish, cordate, imbricate, petals 3, coriaceous, concave, reddish, stamens about 40, filaments short, white.
  • Female flowers - sepals 3, broader, petals 3, shorter, greenish, staminodes usually 3, placed opposite the sepals.
  • Ovary superior, 3 - celled, ovule 1, stigma sessile.
• Fruit : Drupe round, yellow.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : Throughout the year
• Significance :
  • The fibers 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.