Caryota mitis Lour.

Palem saray (Caryota mitis) is a palm up to 8 meters tall of the Arecaceae family, originating from India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, distributed to Kalimantan, Java, and Sumatra. Starch extracted from its stem can be made into sago, besides being planted as an ornamental plant. Traditionally, palem saray is used as an ingredient in tinuktuk tonic to maintain stamina and address joint pain.

Commonly found in lowland rainforests up to elevations of 1,500 m above sea level. Grows in somewhat enclosed areas, generally under tree canopy. Tolerant of clay, sandy, loamy soil with good drainage.

• Roots fibrous.
• Stem clumping, upright, base has leafy stolons.
• Leaves double-pinnate, fish-tail shaped, green stalk 50-100 cm long, leaflets diamond-shaped, often asymmetrical sized 7-25 cm x 2.5-15 cm, tapering leaf tip.
• Flowers spirally arranged, clustered, reddish color, number of flower parts is a multiple of eight. Flowers separated between male and female. Inflorescence stalk curved, inflorescence branching, branch length between 25-45 cm.
• Fruit round shaped, green when young, then turning dark red or orange when ripe, 7-15 cm diameter.

Propagated through seed and offshoots from the stem base.

Phytosterol, triterpene, alkaloid, flavonoid, phenolic acid, ferulic acid, saponin, amino acids, 4-hydroxybenzoic, β-amyrin, β-sitosterol, kaempferol, quercetin, rutinoside.

Ingredient in plain tinuktuk tonic to maintain stamina, has antimicrobial activity, promotes hair growth, treats dental disease and snake bite poisoning, skin itching, addresses joint pain.

Not yet available.

Andudur (Batak), Sarai (Sunda), Bulang talang (Central Kalimantan).