Bio Diversity Park

Common Name : Roundleaf Fountain Palm, Java Palm, Fan Palm

Hindi Name : राउंड लीफ फाउंटेन पाम | Scientific Name : Saribus rotundifolia
Family : Arecaceae
Uses : The leaves are frequently used for thatching houses. The entire leaves were formerly sewn together and made into sails for boats as well. The leaves are also used for making fans. The trunks, which are about 20cm in diameter, are frequently used for pillars in houses, as they take a beautiful finish, and last well when not exposed to dampness. The wood is hard, takes a high polish, and is considerably utilized in the Philippines for canes or walking sticks. The outer part of the trunk (which is the hardest part of the wood) is sometimes removed in the form of strips and used for floors of houses. These strips also supply the wood used for making bows and spear shafts.
Native: South East Asia
General Description:

It is a palm found in Southeast Asia. The genus name Saribus comes from the Maluku local name, Sariboe. It is erect and solitary, and grows at a height ranging from 15-25cm and diameter thickness of about 25cm. Its trunk is smooth and straight with a shallow rings of leaf scars. Its long-stalked, spirally arranged palmately lobed leaves are almost round in outline, and regularly divided to about half of the length, 1.2m in diameter. Flowers are borne on a long-stalked inflorescence, about 0.9-1.2m long. The 3-petaled flowers appear in bunches only when the tree is very old. They are pollinated by bees. Fruits are fleshy drupes that are about 2cm across, ripening from red to black, and looks very attractive. The leaves are used for thatching and food wrapping.