page_title: Borassus flabellifer
section_title: Leaves
hierarchical_section_title: Borassus flabellifer / Uses / Leaves
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of tree in Yasothon Province, Thailand. Emphasises the appearance of the fruit on the tree.
context_page_description: Borassus flabellifer, commonly known as doub palm, palmyra palm, tala palm, toddy palm, wine palm, or ice apple is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is reportedly naturalized in Socotra and parts of China.
context_section_description: The Borassus flabellifer leaves are used for thatching, mats, baskets, fans, hats, umbrellas, and as writing material.
  All the literature of the old Tamil was written in preserved Palm leaves also known as Palm-leaf manuscript. In Tamil Yaedu or Olai chuvadi. Most of the ancient literature in Telugu are written on palm leaves (Tala patra grandhas).
  In Indonesia the leaves were used in the ancient culture as paper, known as "lontar". Leaves of suitable size, shape, texture, and maturity were chosen and then seasoned by boiling in salt water with turmeric powder, as a preservative. The leaves were then dried. When they were dry enough, the face of the leaf was polished with pumice, cut into the proper size, and a hole made in one corner. Each leaf made four pages. The writing was done with a stylus and had a very cursive and interconnected style.
  The stem of the leaves has thorny edges (called "karukku" in Tamil).
  The skin of the stem can be peeled off and be used as rope and also used to weave into cots (நார்க்கட்டில் in Tamil). In some part of Tamil Nadu, a variety of rice flour cake (called "Kolukattai") is prepared using the leaf.
  In the eastern part of India, the leaves are used to make hand fans.
caption: Female tree, showing foliage crown with fruit
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