in Botany, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order, Palmae. See BOTANY Index.

This is a valuable tree to the inhabitants of India, as it not only furnishes a considerable part of their constant bread, but also supplies them with a large article of trade. The pith consists of a farinaceous substance, which is extracted from it and made into bread in this manner: they saw the body into small pieces, and after beating them in a mortar, pour water upon the mass; this is left for some hours to settle. When fit, it is strained through a cloth, and the finer particles of the mealy substance running through with the water, the gross ones are left behind and thrown away. After the farinaceous part is sufficiently subsided, the water is poured off, and the meal being properly dried, is occasionally made into cakes and baked. These cakes are said to eat nearly as well as wheaten bread, and are the support of the inhabitants for three or four months in the year.

The same meal more finely pulverized, and reduced into granules, is what is called sago, which is sent into all parts of Europe, and sold in the shops as a great strengthener and restorative.

There is a sort of sago made in the West Indies, and sent to Europe in the same manner as that from the East; but the West India sago is far inferior in quality to the other. It is supposed to be made from the pith of the areca oleracea. See ARECA.

The brood boom (or bread-tree) of the Hottentots, a plant discovered by Professor Thunberg, is described as a new species of this genus, by the name of cycas Caffra, in the Nova Acta Reg. Soc. Scient. Ups. vol. iii. p. 283. Table V. The pith, or medulla, which abounds in the trunk of this little palm, Mr Sparrman informs us, is collected and tied up in dressed calf or sheep-skins, and then buried in the earth for the space of several weeks, till it becomes sufficiently mellow and tender to be kneaded up with water into a paste, of which they afterwards make small loaves or cakes, and bake them under the ashes. Other Hottentots, not quite so nice, nor endued with patience enough to wait this tedious method of preparing it, are said to dry and roast the pith or marrow, and afterwards make a kind of frumenty of it.