HEIGHT up to 16 ft (5 m)
TYPE Deciduous
OCCURRENCE India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra)
The false sago (not to be confused with the sago palm) occurs in dense, dry, scrubby woodland in hilly areas and sheds its foliage in extremely dry seasons. It is valued for its beauty and is widely planted as an ornamental. Its trunk contains an edible, starchy material. BARK Brown, covered in old leaf bases. LEAF Pinnate, glossy bright green, 5–8 ft (1.5–2.5 m) long, with 170 opposite leaflets, flat, on hairy stalks. FLOWER Males: narrowly ovoid, orange pollen cones, covered in matted woolly hairs; females: cones arranged in a ring around the shoot tips. FRUIT Yellow, nearly round seeds that can float.
