Talipot

an important palm, native in Ceylon and on the Malabar coast. This palm is of peculiar growth. Until the plant is about thirty years old the leaves all spring from a point near the ground. The palm then suddenly shoots up, producing a straight, cylindrical trunk sixty or seventy feet high, crowned with a pyramid of leaves thirty feet high. The blade of the leaf is circular or elliptical, attaining a diameter of even thirteen feet. The blade is borne on a stalk six or seven feet long. Having attained its height the tree blossoms, producing a crop of yellowish flowers so offensive that the tree is frequently felled at this stage. The fruit matures in about fourteen months; then the tree dies. The leaves are used for thatching houses, making umbrellas, fans, and even writing paper. One of these gigantic leaves is capable of sheltering ten people from the rain. The Ceylon native of rank is preceded by slaves carrying these leaves as a sign of their master's rank.