Raphia australis
Raphia australis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Genus: | Raphia |
Species: | R. australis
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Binomial name | |
Raphia australis Oberm. & Strey
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Raphia australis, the giant palm or rafia, is a species of
Description
Raphia australis is a large palm with a single trunk, growing to a height of 24 m (80 ft). The leaves are long and arching, the bases of the leaf stalks sheathing the trunk. The leaves are pinnate, the centre stem or rachis being robust and brown, while the leaflets have a single fold and are shiny green above and waxy and bluish-green below. The main veins and the margins of the leaflets are spiny. This palm was for a long time thought to be the same species as Raphia vinifera, but that has proven not to be the case, the most obvious difference being that the flower stems of R. australis are erect while those of R. vinifera dangle downwards.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Raphia australis is
Ecology
Raphia australis flowers when it is between twenty and forty years old, sets fruit and dies, although the dying process may take up to three years. The tree has specialised aerial roots known as
References
- ^ . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-92-9081-481-8.
- S2CID 153424887.
- "Raphia australis". PlantZAfrica.com. Retrieved 2010-02-11.