hyphæne

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of palms of the tribe Borasseæ, with branching trunks, each branch terminating in a tuft of large fan-shaped leaves, from among which the branching catkin-like spikes of flowers are produced. The different sexes are in separate trees. The fruit has a thick fibrous rind with a smooth polished skin, inclosing a single hollow seed. Nine species are known, natives of tropical Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar. H. Thebaica is the gingerbread-tree or doom-palm.