Oh my Corypha!

A Buri Palm Dossier

Corypha
(Corypha elata Roxb., Corypha utan Lam.)
• Corypha also known as buri, gebang or talipot came
from the genus of palms or family Arecaceae. A native
of Malaysia, India, Indonesia, New Guinea,
northeastern Australia and of the Philippines.
• A buri palm has large leaves ranging from 2-5 meters
in length and can reach 20-40 meters in height, having
a trunk of 1-2.5 meters in diameter.
• Buri grows very slowly and can take a lot of years to
develop its trunk. It can live its life approximately up
to more than 30 years.
• All species of Corypha or buri are monocarpic,
meaning it bears flowers and fruit only once and die
afterwards.
• This palm is one of the most commonly found palms
in the Philippines and can be considered next to
coconut and nipa in economic and industrial value
due to its variety of uses.
Many Uses of Buri
• Buri palm has a variety of uses both in domestic and
industrial, that is why it is widely recognized in local
and international markets.

• Leaves of buri can regenerate very fast, that is why

harvesting them can be convenient. From the palm
comes three types of fiber namely: buri, raffia, and
buntal.
• The fruit of buri is a cheap source of food and a good
source of starch. It is served as snack and is ready to
eat.
• Midrib can be used in shoes, stick broom or for
weaving. firewoods can be derived from the trunk and
as wood frames into making nipa huts.
• It can also be used as temporary aqueduct for
irrigation. The tree helps prevent soil erosion and
maintain the ecological balance of the forest.
• Several other parts of the palm have many uses.
please refer to the table below, uses may also depend
on the genus of the palm.
Leaves used as weaving material for bags, wallets, hats,
trays, placemats, tissue holders, hampers and mats;
used as covers for tobacco bales and also for
thatches and walling. Young leaves are used in
wrapping rice cakes.
Petioles made into buntal fibers, hats, ropes, baskets,
wallets and bags; pounded and made into brooms.

Midribs used in making sale sets, hampers, waste baskets,

trays, tables, cigarette cases, brooms and other
items.
Sap fermented to produce wine (locally known as tuba),
alcohol and vinegar; made into syrup, sugar, jam,
muscovado sugar (panocha) and starch.

Buds eaten raw or cooked as vegetable dish.

Young its endosperms are cooked and made into sweets.

seeds
Mature used as buttons, for playing marbles and rosary
seeds beads

Raffia utilized in manufacturing of clothes, hats, mats and

fiber bags. The coarse fiber of young buds can be made
into ropes and sacks

Pitch or an ingredients in salads, pickles and other food

Ubod recipes
Roots water from the boiled roots can be used as herbal
medicine

Bahi bahi or the outer covering of the trunk can also be

used as lumber or construction materials.

Whole used as shelter for fish

frond
(large
leaf of
palm)
Some products
derived from
Buri
References
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corypha
• http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH2010000589
• https://www.our7107islands.com/the-buri-palm-and-its-crafts/
• Image credit to Australian National Botanic Gardens
• http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Corypha+utan
• https://smartcebu.wordpress.com/materials-library/buri-palm/
• http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0hdl--00-0----0-10-0---
0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-
11-10-0utfZz-8-
00&a=d&c=hdl&cl=CL2.18.5&d=HASH01df274fb229ae826f6d2355.14
• https://www.tagaloglang.com/buri/