This is Rufus. Rufus is sassy and going through his exotic phase.
(Use David Attenborough’s voice in your head)
Rufus is a Sago Palm that I picked up from a plant breeder about twelve years ago (in the US) while he was a little sprout.
(Rufus not pictured)
As of a pretty bitter cold snap a month ago, his leaves were left frostbitten and it’s finally caught up (he’ll be fine though. He’s virtually a dinosaur in the plant kingdom). This has happened as well during heat waves...it’s hard to get a seven foot wide hundred and twenty pound plant, covered in spikes, in for the weather (five and a half feet tall as well)!
Scientific name: Cycas revoluta (Viva la revolución! Rufus can be standoffish)
Sotetsu [Japanese ソテツ]
Sago /ˈseɪɡoʊ/ is a starch extracted from the spongy centre, or pith, of various tropical palm stems, especially that of Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak, rabia and sagu. The largest supply of sago comes from Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. Large quantities of sago are sent to Europe and North America for cooking purposes. (We’re not going to eat Rufus.) It is traditionally cooked and eaten in various forms, such as rolled into balls, mixed with boiling water to form a glue-like paste (papeda), or as a pancake. Sago is often produced commercially in the form of "pearls" (small rounded starch aggregates, partly gelatinized by heating). Sago pearls can be boiled with water or milk and sugar to make a sweet sago pudding.[1] Sago pearls are similar in appearance as the pearled starches of other origin, e.g. cassava starch (tapioca) and potato starch, and they may be used interchangeably in some dishes.
(Rufus is starting to sound delicious..)
Sago starch is also used to treat fibre, in textile production, making it easier to machine. This process is called sizing and helps to bind the fibre, give it a predictable slip for running on metal, standardise the level of hydration of the fibre and give the textile more body. Most cloth and clothing has been sized; this leaves a residue which is removed in the first wash. (Hmmm...a fine Rufus vest...)
Sources: Personal experience, BonsaiOutlet.com, Dengarden.com - And of course Wiki.
(Rufus ‘sprout’ photo, courtesy of BonsaiOutlet.com)
All other photos - Me
Cheers - Luciferrin
