Note 31 — Chapter VIII

The most important starch-producing palm of the Philippines is the buri (Corypha umbraculifera) which gave name to the island of Burias and from which sago is obtained. “It blooms but once, and then perishes” (Blanco). The sago is procured by felling the tree near the root, and taking out the soft interior portion of the trunk, which is placed in casks or troughs and the bitter sap drained off. It is then pounded with paddles or mallets, which separate the starch into fine grains. The starch is then gathered and dried, and converted into flour. A wine is also obtained from the tree. See Census of Philippines, iv, p. 123; also Blanco’s Flora, p. 160; Delgado’s Historia, pp. 660–662; and VOL. XXXIV, p. 154, note 499. ↑