Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Palmyrah Palm (Borassus flabellifer)  Did you know that one of the most versatile trees, the Palmyrah Palm, a dioecious tree, is known for its 800 uses, apart from repugnant (?) distinction of its extract used as Toddy, an intoxicating drink prepared by the fermentation of the sap?  Palmyrah Palm with botanical name Borassus flabellifer in the family of Arecaceae, a monotypic genus of sugar palms, is native to India, tropical Africa, and naturalized throughout the tropics and having fan-shaped leaves and very hard wood. The plant is a selection from the more diverse Borassus aethiopum Mart. of Africa which got distributed following Indian trade routes in prehistoric times. In India, its distribution encompasses the dry  landscape of the semi arid regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra. In fact, it is the official tree of Tamil Nadu and very highly regarded in Tamil culture, called as "kat...