borassus

Updated: June 10, 2025

Called "the tree of leaves," and "the tree of reflection;" a palm tree, the borassus flabellifera, described as a tree which never loses its leaves. It is often confounded with the pippala. E. H., p. 92. The kusa grass, mentioned in a previous note. See the account of this contest with Mara in M. B., pp. 171-179, and "Buddhist Birth Stories," pp. 96-101. See chap. xiii, note 7.

Faxian - A Record of Buddhistic kingdoms: being an account by the Chinese monk Fa-hsien of travels in India and Ceylon (A.D. 399-414) in search of the Buddhist books of discipline

Among the conspicuous trees were the hyphene and borassus palm trees, and a tree bearing a fruit about the size of a 600-pounder cannon-ball, called by some natives "mabyah,"* according to the Doctor, the seeds of which are roasted and eaten. They are not to be recommended as food to Europeans. * In the Kisawahili tongue, "mabyah," "mbyah, "byah," mean bad, unpleasant.

Henry M. (Henry Morton) Stanley - How I Found Livingstone; travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. Livingstone, by Henry M. Stanley

Noticeable among the many trees were the lofty Hyphaene and Borassus palms; the graceful wild date-palm, with its fruit in golden clusters, and the umbrageous mokononga, of cypress form, with its dark-green leaves and scarlet fruit. Many flowers peeped out near the water's edge, some entirely new to us, and others, as the convolvulus, old acquaintances.

David Livingstone - A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries : And of the Discovery of Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa, 1858-1864