ARENGA

(Lat.), n. f. A?r(a3r)-e2n?’ga’. From the native name, areng. A genus of palms of the Areceæ, subtribe Fuareceæ, including lofty trees having bipinnatiseet leaves. male flowers with 3 sepals and numerous stamens, and seeds with ruminated albumen. [B, 42.]—A. sac char if era [Labillardiére]. Fr, palmiercondiar. Ger., A-Palme, Syn.: Palma indica vinaria secund a [Rumphius], Bora us gomutus {Loureiro} (seu saccharifer [Sprengel]), Sagnerus Rumphii [Roxburgh] (seu gamuto [Houttuyn]), Caryota onusta [Blanco]. The contar, or cantar; a species growing in the Moluccas, the Philippines, the Sunda Islands, and Cochin- China. A sort of sago is obtained from the pith, and a saccharine juice from the male spadices (furnishing a brown sugar called aula-it an, which on fermentation affords an alcoholic beverage). From the petiolar fibrils ropes are made. The green fruit is made into a confection and eaten, and the ripe fruit furnishes a highly irritant juice, which causes intense itching when applied to the skin, and inflammation of the mucous membranes. It constituted the hell-water (aqua infernal is) used by the natives as a means of warfare. [B, 121, 188.]