Around the world, palms serve many purposes and are routinely used by many cultures. Dr. John Dransfield forwarded these two photographs taken in Nakorn Ratchasima, Thailand by Dr. Wong Khoon Meng, Singapore.
This furniture is crafted from the petioles of Borrasus flabellifer. Dr. Dransfield added that he “particularly liked the flared bases of the stools where one can just see the top of the characteristic central split of the leaf base.”
Borrasus flabellifer (all photos by Andy Hurwitz)
Notable Palm Gardens: Miami Beach Botanical Garden
Borassus flabellifer grows not only in Thailand but throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent.
IPS board member Haresh describes B. flabellifer as plentiful in the arid parts of southern India, where wild populations still exist. It is the official tree of Tamil Nadu, India. Haresh further explained that, although these palms are quite slow growing, they are used by villagers for boundary markers and extensively harvested for fruits and leaves.